A Brother's Burden
by Bookwrm389
Summary: A brother's burden is never easy, yet it's the one I refuse to remove from my shoulders. When Al is kidnapped by the homunculi and replaced by an imposter, will he find a way to return to his brother's side?
1. Imposter

_A.N. I was going to have this first chapter be a oneshot, but then I remembered how much I hate cliffhanger oneshots. In other words, add this to your Story Alerts! It's a multi-chapter story, but I'm not sure how long it will take me to finish, since the next month or so will be fairly busy. I'm hoping posting the first chapter will inspire me to quit procrastinating. _

Chapter One - Imposter

Ed sprinted down the dark hallway of the abandoned apartment building, following the sounds of fighting in the distance. The clash of steel on claws made him run faster, his breath coming in sharp gasps.

"Alphonse?!" he cried.

"_Down here!_"

Ed put on an extra burst of speed, ignoring the stitch in his side. How long had he been running? It seemed like no matter where he went in this maze he never came any closer to Al and the homunculus he was fighting. But at least they were still fighting...

Sudden silence made Ed slow down and stop, heart thumping in terror. "Al?" he called tentatively.

No response.

"Al?!_ Al!_"

Behind him, a hallway he had just passed lit up with a brilliant blue-white light. Ed ran back to the hallway's entrance and the light nearly blinded him before the hallway grew dark once more, leaving him with spots dancing across his vision.

"_Alphonse!_" Ed yelled and took off down the hallway, heedless of his own safety. All that mattered was finding Al. Seconds later, he arrived in a huge room, probably a storage room, filled with crates and boxes. Ed began searching every nook and cranny, still calling out for his brother.

Ed was halfway across the room when he found something that made him drop to his knees in defeat.

"No," Ed moaned, taking in the bits of torn metal around him nearly unrecognizable as Al's armor. "Oh God, _no…_"

"Edward?"

"Al?" Ed yelped, hope returning to him. He scrambled around frantically in search of Al's blood-seal. As long as that was intact he could put the armor together, bring Al back…

"Ed, I'm here."

Ed turned toward the voice and for a single second he thought he was dreaming. That or lost his mind in the aftermath of losing Al. Either way, what he was seeing was impossible.

But when he stumbled over to the naked child curled up in the center of an enormous transmutation circle, the hallucination didn't vanish. When Ed reached out to touch his cheek, the skin was warm, alive. And his face…

"Al?" Ed whispered.

Alphonse smiled up at him, a smile Ed hadn't seen in years, and two tears trailed from his eyes. "It's me."

Ed knelt down and gripped one of his bare shoulders tightly with his automail hand, his other still occupied with exploring Al's face. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't his mind playing tricks. It was ten-year-old Al. His lungs were breathing, his heart beating, his whole body looking as healthy and alive as if he hadn't spent four years away from it.

"How did this happen?" Ed choked, still gripping Al tightly as though terrified he would vanish somehow.

"I don't know," Al said in a hushed voice. "I just woke up like this…I don't even remember what we were doing here…"

"Fighting a homunculus," Ed said absentmindedly. "Found out they were holding another alchemist hostage and came to help, but…I don't know how…"

Ed broke off and for a long moment his eyes remained fixed on Al's. Then he dropped his gaze and rested his forehead against Al's shoulder, trying to control himself. How long had it been since he wanted to cry so badly?

"Ed?" Al asked, sounding worried. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Ed said thickly. A hitched sob escaped him and Ed decided then that it didn't matter if he cried in front of his brother. If this wasn't an occasion for tears of joy then he didn't know what was.

Ed looked up, unable to hold back a smile at the familiar, yet foreign sight of Al's real face. "I'm just…this is so sudden and…"

Al nodded in understanding and without further ado leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Ed's waist. Ed hugged him right back and broke down completely, squeezing him so tightly he was surprised Al could still breathe.

"Al," Ed said huskily, forcing the words out between his sobs. "I'm so happy right now…you have no _idea_…"

"I know," Al whispered. "I'm happy too."

* * *

Al ascended the stairs cautiously, silently cursing the fact that the suit of armor had such loud footsteps. Any nearby homunculus would hear him coming a mile away. But he couldn't turn back--he couldn't do anything except go wherever they were leading him and Al had to admit that he was getting extremely worried.

There had to be a reason for this, for separating him from Ed and leading him up here. Right in the middle of his fight with Lust in the storage room, another homunculus had appeared where Al had thought she was the only one. Wrath's transmutation had blinded even his nonexistent eyes and before he knew it the floor beneath him had opened up like a gigantic mouth and swallowed him. Al had fallen to the lower floor and landed hard in a dark hallway. Before he could so much as twitch, the ceiling had closed off and a wall had blocked off one part of the hallway, leaving him with only one way to go since he had lost his chalk in the fall.

But if Al was worried about his own safety, then he was deathly afraid for Ed. His older brother had been on his way, following Al's calls until Wrath separated them. Had they done it so they could try and get to Ed first before coming to finish Al?

But Ed was a strong fighter and a stronger alchemist. He could beat Lust and Wrath easily…

…couldn't he?

Al sped up.

The stairs ended in a wooden door that was cracked open. Al hesitated, knowing somehow that beyond this door he would find the reason he had been led him away from Ed…the reason Wrath and Lust hadn't taken the opportunity to kill him…

Al pushed open the door and scanned the room.

"Ed!" Al cried, spotting his brother standing by a window. Ed turned toward him and smiled lightly.

"Hey, Al."

"Brother, I was so worried about you!" Al said. He strode across the room then stopped when Ed held up a hand.

"Guess what Al?" Ed said with a cocky grin. "I learned how to do alchemy without clapping!"

"Wh-what…?" Al faltered.

Ed held up his automail hand and a second later his entire arm morphed into a metal spike of its own accord. Al recoiled when he realized that there had not been a single spark of alchemy involved in the transformation.

"You're…you're Envy…" Al whispered with a hint of despair.

Envy frowned, giving a perfect imitation of Ed's childish pout when he was put out about something. "Aw, come on, Al! I thought you'd be more impressed!"

"Where's my brother?" Al demanded. "Tell me!"

The Ed-look-a-like rolled his eyes and jerked his thumb back to the window. "Out there, you happy? Honestly, you're such a baby sometimes!"

Ignoring him, Al moved quickly to the window. Keeping one eye on Envy, he peeked outside. They were on the very top floor of the abandoned apartment building. Down below, Al had a clear view of the building's courtyard and the scum-filled fountain in the center. Beyond the twisted remains of the iron gate Ed had transmuted apart was a busy road.

Disappointment pricked at Al's conscience. Not only was there no Ed, but there was also no sign of any military cars either. Before they came here, Al had made Ed call the military headquarters and leave a message for Colonel Mustang, informing him of what was going on. He had hoped help would have arrived by now…

Al turned back to Envy, who was studiously cleaning his nails with the metal spike on his arm. Al resisted the urge to snap at the homunculus to change his form.

"I don't see anything," Al said slowly.

Envy gave him an exasperated look. "Well he's not there yet, but trust me he'll be walking out the door soon."

"Brother wouldn't just leave me here," Al said angrily.

Envy smirked widely, his transformed eyes fixed on the courtyard. "You sure about that, little brother?"

Feeling a strange foreboding, Al once more turned to look out the window. There was Ed! He emerged from the apartment building and began traversing the courtyard, moving slowly because he was carrying someone that was wrapped up in his coat. It looked like a child.

"Is that…the alchemist you were holding hostage…?" Al guessed uncertainly.

Envy burst into laughter. "Oh my _God_, I knew you were gullible, but this is hilarious! There never _was_ an alchemist! This whole thing was such an _obvious_ trap that I'm shocked you fell for it! Both of you!"

Al kept his eyes on Ed. "But…then why did…?"

"Look at the kid's face," Envy said maliciously, "unless you've been in that scrap heap for so long that you don't remember your own reflection."

Startled, Al leaned closer to the window. It couldn't be…it wasn't _possible_…

A military car pulled up in the street then and a group of people in military uniforms jumped out. Al recognized Colonel Roy Mustang and Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye right away, but the others were strangers. The soldiers moved into the courtyard and Ed stopped and waved a hand at them. Roy and Riza both approached Ed and Al registered looks of astonishment on their faces.

Then Ed turned slightly and Al finally caught a look at the one Ed was carrying. Dark gold hair, a rounded face, a wide smile…there was no doubt anymore…

"It's…that's…" Al stammered.

"Yep," Envy said cheerfully.

Al pressed his hand to the window.

"…it's not me," Al murmured. "It's not…"

Al pounded the window suddenly, screaming, "Brother, wait! Wait, that's not me! Brother, _that's not me!_"

But Ed couldn't hear him. No one could. And Al couldn't hear them either, but he could see Ed speaking excitedly with Roy, accepting a quick hug from Riza. He could see the not-Al, the imposter talking to _his_ older brother as if he knew him.

And Al could see the happiness in Ed's expression when he turned to answer. Ed's arms were wrapped protectively around that little bundle of red, pink and dark gold like he would never let go. Al was startled when Ed reached up with one hand and rubbed his eyes, wiping away tears.

A horribly empty ache grew inside Al as he watched the scene before him. It was a scene he and Ed had long envisioned for themselves--the moment they got their bodies back, the joy and tears it would bring, all things they would do once they were whole again. And now, Al was helpless to do anything except watch his brother bask in that moment without him. A moment that should have been _theirs_ and theirs _alone!_

He was locked outside of it, just as he was locked in his armor…

Al drew back his fist to smash the window, but behind him there was the sound of an alchemic reaction and chains materialized around his wrists and ankles.

"We can't have that, now can we?"

Al slumped down against the wall, unable to keep his balance, and glared fiercely at the new arrivals. Lust crossed her arms and watched him with a bored expression while Wrath plopped down on the floor and grinned at him cruelly. Envy leaned casually against the wall, still in Ed's form.

"Brother will figure it out," Al said, hating how shaky his voice sounded. "You can't fool him forever. Whoever, whatever that child is, Ed will know the difference!"

"Not in time to do anything about saving you, I'm afraid," Lust said calmly. "Besides, he's far too ecstatic to notice much of anything at the moment. And that 'child' as you called him isn't all that bad an actor."

"He's not me!" Al snapped. "Ed knows me, he'll find out once the excitement wears off--!"

"Which will be when?" Envy spat, putting a suddenly harsh look on Ed's face. "Your brother just got the one thing he's been trying to get for the past four years. He's got his baby brother in the flesh. Do you think he cares about _anything _else? He's already walked right out of here without trying to figure out how he got his brother back or even where the homunculi and their hostage are!"

"He's happy," Lust murmured. "As far as he knows, your long journey is at an end. What do you think his reaction would be if you walked in and informed him otherwise? How devastating to learn that he must begin anew after the burden of returning you to normal was taken from his shoulders."

"He's got his human brother," Wrath put in. "Why would he want a clunky suit of armor back?"

By this time, Al had dropped his gaze to the floor, unable to maintain eye contact with the homunculi. Try as he might to deny them, the words cut him straight to the core. And Al couldn't seem to stop his mind from considering the scenario of revealing this mistake to Ed. He could already see Ed's expression--shock turning into anger at being tricked, then would come the stream of apologies, the guilt over not figuring it out sooner, the depression of returning to a hopeless quest hidden behind a host of fake smiles and easy lies…

Lethargically, Al turned his gaze back to the window, though from his position he could no longer see the courtyard. Had Ed and the fake Al left already? Had everyone piled into the military cars and simply driven away? The thought of being left behind with these monsters--abandoned, forgotten--made him feel incredibly lonely.

"He has to find out sometime," Al whispered. "He _has_ to…"

"Who says he does?" Envy asked quietly, coloring Ed's voice with certainty. "The pipsqueak has what he wants and, unlike us, that brat has no problems pretending to be a human being. He's even ok with pretending to be Alphonse Elric for the rest of his life as long as he gets to live like a normal kid."

"We, however," Lust said, "still have our own desires to be human. And Edward isn't the best candidate for the job since he hesitated to make a Philosopher's Stone even with your life on the line."

The penny dropped.

"That's it then," Al breathed. "You want me to make the Stone for you. And you set this whole thing up so no one would come after me."

"Clever boy," Lust commended.

Al sat in absolute silence for a moment. Then he buried his head in his hands. Remembering his older brother with the other Alphonse, holding him, smiling at him, Al felt a sick wave of jealousy sweep through him. But that emotion was short-lived, swiftly being replaced by black despair.

_Brother…you can't leave me here…you _can't_… _


	2. Alphonse

_A.N. This chapter really should be called 'sympathize with the OC' chapter._

Chapter Two - Alphonse

Looking in the rear view mirror for the sixth time in a row, Riza couldn't help but smile. Alphonse had fallen asleep leaning against Ed's shoulder. He seemed so exhausted, but even in his sleep he couldn't stop smiling.

Neither could Ed as a matter of fact. The Fullmetal Alchemist had unconsciously wrapped an arm around Al's shoulders when the other fell asleep and now he was gazing out the window of the military car with a dazed expression. For once, the dark scowl and darker emotions were gone from his face, replaced by such a happy, hopeful look that he was like a completely different person. And like Riza, Ed couldn't seem to stop himself from peeking at Al every so often and when he did his smile would only grow wider.

Ed glanced up and caught Riza looking back at him. He smiled sheepishly.

"I keep thinking this is a dream," Ed murmured. "It's too good to be true, but…he's really back. He looks just the same as he did before the transmutation."

Riza turned her attention back to the road. "Do you have any idea how it happened?"

"Not really," Ed admitted. "I just found him in the middle of this transmutation circle. Someone had to perform the transmutation, but Al said he didn't remember what happened. It could have been that alchemist the homunculi had hostage, but I can't see them allowing this to happen. Unless the alchemist did it on his own or maybe even Al…I just don't know…"

Al shifted sleepily and Ed's smile returned. "I guess I'll just ask him again when he wakes up…"

Ed's smile slipped suddenly and he looked back at Riza. "Lieutenant, do you think you could take us to the doctor's office? Well, we'll have to get some clothes from our dorm first, but I want to make sure he's really ok."

"Of course," Riza answered. "The colonel said he and the others would take care of searching for the homunculi. You have the rest of the day off and my orders are to help the two of you in any way I can--which I would have done anyway."

"Thank you," Ed said gratefully.

* * *

_Pain…that was all it was aware of. If there had once been a time without pain, it didn't remember. Pain was all that existed._

_After a time, the pain began to intensify. It didn't like that and it tried to figure out how to go back to when there was less pain instead of more. Then it learned how to open its mouth and expand its chest and the tight feeling from that area faded._

_And so it learned that 'breathing' equals 'less pain'._

_Then it decided to try other kinds of movement. Moving its limbs brought more pain, but it could turn its head and open its eyes without causing any. And suddenly it became aware that it was not alone. There was someone watching it, someone curled on the ground in a pool of red and clutching his side. Did he feel pain too? _

_He looked up and his mouth changed--the corners curved upward when he looked at it._

_"Little…brother…"_

_He closed his eyes and slumped down. What happened to him? Had he found a way to make his pain go away?_

_It tried closing its eyes and found that its awareness was slipping. That scared it, but then it realized the pain was also leaving. And so it decided that losing awareness might be a _very_ good idea… _

_"Don't die yet, runt!"_

_Loud voice. Painful to hear. It tried to fall back into unawareness, but the one who had spoken the loud words grabbed it and once again it felt pain. It tried to tell the loud person to stop, but couldn't figure out how._

_The loud person shoved red stones into its mouth. "Eat up. Trust me, you'll feel better."_

_It tried to spit them out, afraid that it wouldn't be able to breathe, but the loud person wouldn't allow it. Desperate, it bit down on the stones to make them smaller then instinctively swallowed. The pain lessened and it could still breathe. _

_More stones were shoved into its mouth and it chewed and swallowed obediently. The pain grew less and less and so it ate faster until finally the pain was no more. _

_It looked up at the loud person, amazed that he had made the ever-present pain go away. The corners of the loud person's mouth curved upward just like the other person's mouth had and it decided it liked that expression. Whenever it saw that expression, its pain would fade._

_"Now listen up, brat," the loud person said. "I'm Envy and you're only alive to do what me and my friends tell you to do. If you listen, you get more Red Stones and you stay alive longer. Are we clear?"_

_It stared at Envy and he rolled his eyes. "I _said_ are we clear?"_

_Tentatively, it curled up the corners of its mouth, imitating the expression Envy and the other person had both given him. Envy nodded in approval and it decided it had got something right._

_"You're catching on," Envy said. "Maybe we'll find a use for you once you're a little less ugly…"_

_

* * *

_

He opened his eyes and without moving peeked at his surroundings. It took him a moment to recognize the military car he was in and when he did he sighed in relief. He hated dreaming because he always dreamed about _that_ night, the night he was given life through a failed human transmutation. He didn't _want_ to remember that…

Then he looked to his side and smiled, his favorite expression. Ed was still there and still smiling, though he was looking out the window. He rubbed his head against Ed's shoulder and was ecstatic when Ed, instead of pushing him away like the homunculi would have, ran a hand through his hair affectionately.

_I have a brother,_ he thought happily. _Edward is my brother…and I'm Al, now! Alphonse Elric, not 'brat' or 'runt' or 'him'! Just Alphonse!_

The car stopped with a jolt and Ed looked down at Alphonse with that same happy expression as when they hugged in the abandoned apartment building.

"Hey, sleepy," Ed said teasingly. "Come on, Al. We've got to get you some clothes."

The air outside was cold so Alphonse held the red coat tight around him while he and Ed entered the military dorms. Ed kept an arm around his shoulders as though afraid he would stumble without support, which Alphonse thought was very kind. This Ed was so different from Envy and the other homunculi. It made him feel incredibly lucky that they had allowed him to be Ed's little brother as part of their plan to get the Philosopher's Stone. Personally, Alphonse didn't see the point in their plan. Homunculi looked enough like humans so why not at least _try_ and live among them?

But at least they were letting Alphonse do just that. And as long as he was careful, he could have the life the real Al had…one with an older brother who loved him.

Alphonse followed Ed up a flight of stairs and down a hallway until they arrived at a dorm. Ed held the door open and Alphonse entered, looking around curiously. The dorm was very messy with clothes strewn around all over the place and an open suitcase lying haphazardly in a corner. Ed immediately went to the suitcase and started rifling through its contents.

"I don't know if my stuff will fit you," Ed mumbled. "They might be a little big, but it's better than walking around in nothing but my coat."

Alphonse clutched the red coat possessively. "I like the coat though…"

Ed laughed and glanced over his shoulder. "It's _my_ coat, you goof! And it hardly counts as clothing by itself."

Alphonse bit his lip, reluctant to part with the warm coat, and Ed shook his head hopelessly. "Fine, you can wear it over the other clothes if you want. But _just_ for today, alright?"

"Ok!" Alphonse said happily. He snuggled his nose into the coat's collar, reveling in its scent. It was so unlike the blood-smell from the other homunculi and the filthy smells of the abandoned buildings they stayed in. Alphonse couldn't get enough of it.

After a moment, he became aware of Ed standing in front of him holding a bundle of clothes. Ed had a very soft look on his face and Alphonse reddened slightly.

"You really missed my smell that much?" Ed asked bemusedly.

Alphonse shifted uncomfortably, worried he may have done something to give himself away. "It's…kind of new…I-I mean, I…"

"It's ok, Al," Ed said with a chuckle. "I should have figured. It's been four years since you smelled _anything_…"

Ed got a sad look on his face and Alphonse's gut clenched in anxiety. But in the next moment Ed's smile returned and he held out the clothes. "Here, put those on and we'll head to the doctor's office."

"Doctor?" Alphonse asked apprehensively.

"Of course," Ed said firmly. "We need to make sure your body's working right."

"Oh…um, right…ok…"

Alphonse took a deep breath and told himself to relax. It was just a visit to the doctor. Doctors checked that the body and mind were working--there was no way they could figure out he was a homunculus.

Misreading his uneasiness, Ed put his hands on Alphonse's shoulders. "I'm sure everything's fine. I just want to double check, that's all. I mean, you feel ok, right? Nothing's hurting or feels different?"

"No, I feel fine," Alphonse said quickly. He slipped into the bathroom and after some difficulty managed to pull the clothes on. He couldn't believe how warm he felt once he pulled the coat on over everything. The homunculi hadn't given him much in the way of clothing, so this felt like a luxury. Once Alphonse was dressed, he and Ed returned to the car and Riza drove them to a building in downtown Central.

When the doctor called Alphonse back, Ed and Riza stayed behind in the waiting room. Alphonse twisted his hands nervously, but kept reminding himself that on the outside he was human enough to fool a doctor. They couldn't check whether he had a soul.

"Ok, let's start with some simple measurements," the doctor said in a friendly tone. He measured Alphonse's height and weight and asked some questions about his daily life. It took some creativity on Alphonse's part to come up with suitable answers. After that, the doctor drew some blood for a simple blood test and informed him that he would call with the results.

"Is that all?" Alphonse asked anxiously.

The doctor chuckled. "That's all, young man. Unless you have any conditions you've been hiding from me, you're perfectly healthy."

Alphonse sighed in relief.

"Interesting tattoo, by the way," the doctor said offhandedly.

_Uh oh_, Alphonse thought. He'd forgotten all about the Ouroboros, which was inked into the skin between his shoulder blades just below his neckline. The doctor must have seen it when Alphonse took off his shirt so he could listen to his heartbeat and breathing.

"Is that from the new tattoo parlor a couple streets over?" the doctor asked curiously. "I've been thinking about going there myself."

"Y-yeah," Alphonse faltered. "Um…could you not tell Edward about that? He, uh…he doesn't like tattoos and I don't want to make him mad…"

"Certainly," the doctor assured him. "Everything stays confidential between us unless you say otherwise. That includes the results of your check-up."

"Oh, I don't mind that," Alphonse said quickly, "just not the tattoo."

Finally, Alphonse was free to go. He couldn't help but smile over passing the test. When he entered the waiting room, Ed stood up quickly looking fretful, but the tension in his face vanished when he saw Alphonse's triumphant expression.

"Everything's fine?" Ed asked.

"Yeah," Alphonse answered.

Ed grinned broadly and he flung and arm around Alphonse's shoulders. "In that case, we should go celebrate! Damn, I didn't even think about it, you must be starving! Where do you want to eat? Should we invite anyone? Hey, maybe we should pay Gracia and Elysia a visit and ask to stay for dinner! Gracia's cooking is amazing and Elysia has always wanted to see you without the armor…"

Alphonse just smiled in content while Ed babbled on and on. He didn't care where they ate or who they ate with. As long as Ed was there, he was happy.


	3. Exodus

_A.N. Time to shine the spotlight on Al a bit. What can I say? He's my favorite character! _

Chapter Three - Exodus

Lust looked up as Wrath entered the kitchen of the abandoned house they were currently occupying, unceremoniously dragging two unconscious men by the hair. He didn't acknowledge her at all as he hauled the groaning figures across the room, opened a door that led to the basement and casually tossed them down the staircase. Faint cries and shouts emerged from the basement only to be cut off when Wrath slammed the door shut and locked it with alchemy. Only then did Wrath turn to Lust with a fiendish grin.

"We've got enough sacrifices," Wrath said exuberantly. "The first Stones can be made tonight."

Gluttony, in the middle of munching on the kitchen table, whimpered piteously. "Can I eat them?"

"No, Gluttony," Lust said gently. "We have plans for them."

Just then, Envy sauntered into the room, discarding the last of Edward's appearance and regaining his own. With an angry grunt, Envy slumped into a chair and began rhythmically banging his head on the table, much to Gluttony's consternation.

"Is our precious alchemist giving you a hard time?" Lust asked with an amused smile.

"Grah," Envy growled. "Damn kid tried to escape _again!_ You'd think he would have learned his lesson, but _no!_ He just keeps going on and on about how _wrong_ and _evil_ our plan is! I ought to have you slice him up into little pieces so he can't move around at all!"

"Don't go there, Envy," Lust said warningly. "We don't have the means to repair the armor if something happens."

"I could try," Wrath said, absently tracing little patterns on the floor with his finger. "If I practice, I bet I could activate the blood-seal."

"Just focus on your part," Envy snapped. "All of this will be for nothing if your little idea goes wrong."

"It won't!" Wrath said indignantly. "The Philosopher's Stone needs thousands of lives, which obviously are a little hard to gather all at once. But there's nothing stopping us from having the Elric kid make a bunch of Red Stones from smaller sacrifices and eventually pulling them all together into a true Philosopher's Stone. It will work!"

"And just how long is that going to take?" Envy demanded. "It's been less than a day and I'm already sick of dealing with the whiny trashcan! Speaking of which, I think you guys should take some turns going to check on him. I'm getting bored."

"I thought you said you could enjoy tormenting him in his brother's form for centuries on end?" Lust asked.

Envy snorted. "It's hardly worth my time when I can't actually lay a hand on him. Plus he's starting to ignore me whenever I walk in wearing the pipsqueak's form. Heeeeyy…Lust, how about we both walk in there and you start cutting me up while I pretend to be the shrimp begging little metal boy for help! That'll freak him out!"

Lust raised an eyebrow. "Are you so bored that you would resort to torturing yourself just for kicks?"

"Hey, if it gets a rise out of him, who am I to complain?" Envy cackled. "Besides, psychological torture is so much _fun!_"

"I pride myself on being above such petty entertainment," Lust said graciously.

Envy scowled. "Fine, I'll cut _myself_ up! Happy?" With that, he stood and left the room, ascending a flight of stairs toward Al's prison.

* * *

Al snapped a spike off his armored shoulder and examined it. He gave the wood floor an experimental scrap was pleased to see that the spike left a clear mark.

Thinking hard, Al eventually settled on a two-step plan. First, carve an array to get the chains off his wrists and ankles. Second, another array to open the floor and let him drop to the next floor. After that, he couldn't plan further since he hadn't seen much of the house's layout before they locked him in an empty bedroom on the second floor. Escaping through the floor was only moderately less dangerous than escaping through the walls, since he had no clue what was on the other side of the walls.

No, his biggest worry was being caught again. Three times, Al had tried to escape with the armor's strength alone and always he was stopped. He had saved alchemy as a last resort because if this escape plan failed the homunculi would take extra measures to ensure he couldn't use it.

Carefully, Al began scratching out a basic array. He paused every few seconds to listen for footsteps. Envy had left only minutes ago, but Al didn't want to take any chances.

In seconds, Al had finished the first array and begun on the second. He went over his plan again and again to keep his mind from dwelling on any what-if scenarios. Just two quick transmutations and then he would run for it. Later, he would decide how to go about getting back to Ed and explaining the truth to him.

A thrill of dread made Al's hand pause in its task, but he pushed the feeling aside and kept working. He would deal with that when the time came. It wasn't Ed's fault he had unknowingly left his real brother behind. It was just a mistake--one that Al had to rectify.

But Al couldn't help but wonder what Ed and the not-Al were doing. There were no windows in his prison so Al couldn't keep track of the time, but by his feeble estimations it had been about half a day since Ed found the fake. Were they still in Central or were they already making plans to go back to Risembool, like he and Ed had vaguely discussed doing once they got their bodies back? Had Ed already called Winry and Granny Pinako to tell them what he thought was good news? What would _their_ reactions be once they found out the truth?

Banishing those disconcerting thoughts from his mind, Al shifted to place his bound wrists and ankles over the first array. One step at a time. Ed needed to know the truth and Al would only be able to tell him once he escaped. If he could.

The array lit up and in an instant the chains broke apart into dozens of pieces. Al stood quickly then froze when the lock clicked on the door. Envy!

Making a snap decision, Al snatched up the spike and, as soon as Envy stepped over the threshold, lunged forward and stabbed the spike into his skull. Blood spurted everywhere and Al gave an involuntary cry when a familiar face turned to him, golden eyes shining in betrayal.

"Al," Ed choked, "how could you?!"

Al recovered his senses and swept his arm out, catching Envy in the stomach and sending him careening into the opposite wall. He took off out the door and was faced with a hallway. One way led to a flight of stairs and the other to a window. Al started for the stairs, but halted when he heard voices below and wisely opted for the window instead.

But before he could pass the door of his prison, Envy emerged, still in Ed's form, and blocked his way. Blood cascaded freely from his wound and flowed down Ed's face and hair in sickening rivers. For once, Al was very glad he didn't have a stomach to feel nauseous with, but it was still a painful sight to take in.

"Going so soon, little brother?" Envy asked in a sweet mockery of Ed's voice.

"You're not my brother," Al stated.

"I might as well be," Envy said maliciously, transforming his arm into a spike as he talked. "The pipsqueak has already abandoned you. I wonder how he's enjoying the company of his much more _human-looking_ brother?"

"_I'm_ his little brother!" Al said heatedly. "Nothing can change that!"

"Then why are you trying so hard to take away his happiness?" Envy shot back.

Envy began advancing and Al retreated until he was backed up against the wall near the stairs.

"Because it's not real," Al whispered remorsefully, "and it won't be real until we're both back to normal!"

Envy charged him, but despite his superior strength Al was backed up by years of experience in sparring against someone Ed's size. Envy ran flat out and leapt into the air, spiked arm pulled back to strike. At the last second, Al grabbed a foot in one hand and the spiked hand in the other and slammed Envy into the wall hard enough to leave a sizeable dent. There was a sickening crack and Envy slumped to the ground with his neck bent at an odd angle. Al raced to the other end of the hallway and wasted no time smashing the window and dropping to the ground below.

Al landed hard on his knees, denting them slightly, and took off running. He didn't recognize the area he was in, but there was no time to worry about it since the homunculi would probably come after him any second. Al took heart from the fact that, though he was outnumbered, he could easily outlast them in a chase.

And then…he would find his brother.

* * *

"So this is the transmutation circle that was in the storage room?" Ed asked, examining the paper in his hand. "I was too preoccupied to get a good look at it before."

Roy nodded. "I figured that, which is why I copied it as best I could. It's probably not perfect, but…"

"No, but I still appreciate it," Ed said absently as he examined the array drawn crudely in pencil. He knew that, somehow, this array had brought about Al's transformation. It looked horribly complicated. Just the thought of trying to decipher it was intimidating.

Roy rose from his chair and walked to the window of his office, looking out at the setting sun without really seeing it. "So you're really set on returning to Risembool?"

Ed looked up, surprised by the question. "Well, yeah…I mean, Al's got his body back so there's no reason to stay anymore."

"What about you?" Roy asked, turning back to Ed with a puzzled expression. "Your arm and leg?"

Ed's eyes slid down to his automail arm and he waved his other hand dismissively. "Getting Al back to normal was my main goal. I can live with automail if it means I can stop being a dog of the military. Besides, Winry would kill me if she lost her best customer."

Ed groaned suddenly and rubbed his eyes. "Crap, I haven't called her yet! She's going to give me a concussion for not telling her sooner."

Roy chuckled, though inside his heart was beginning to sink. The office would be so quiet without the bad tempered shrimp to keep them all entertained. Even sweet, passive Al would be missed.

A thought occurred to Roy and he asked, "So what does Al think of this? He's really alright with you keeping the automail?"

Ed glanced away with a shadowed expression. Before Roy could think to ask what was wrong, Ed turned back to him with a smile and Roy doubted he had seen anything in the first place.

"We haven't talked much at all yet," Ed explained. "Al's been sleeping a lot since we came back from the doctor. But I did ask him about going back to Risembool and he's all for it. I think he's anxious to get home after all the years we spent traveling around."

"I can imagine," Roy agreed. He hesitated then walked over and sat on the couch next to Ed. "Well, I suppose I can't stop you from going back home. Just do me one favor. Don't leave your watch here."

Ed began to protest, but Roy shook his head. "Just for now. Keep the watch and your title for two weeks. I'll let you have that much leave and if, at the end, you decide you truly don't want anything to do with us military dogs you can send it back. I'll make your excuses so you can leave without any fuss."

Ed's brow furrowed and he looked off into the distance pensively. He opened his mouth to say something then closed it. Considering Roy for a long moment, Ed grinned cockily. "Fine, you're on. But in two weeks, you're going to find a silver watch in your mailbox with a note clipped to it reading, 'I told you so!'"

Roy rolled his eyes. "And I'll be sure to write up a dashing letter of resignation. 'To the Fuhrer, I'm resigning because my shortness is a permanent disability and a serious liability to the military. Take care!'"

"Bastard," Ed huffed.

"Midget," Roy retorted.

For once, Ed let the insult go and stood up to leave. Halfway to the door, he hesitated and looked back at Roy--the bastard colonel who stuck with him and Al through it all, who came to Ed days after his failure and mercilessly yanked him back on his feet with the promise of a second chance. The man who gave him the silver pocket watch, brought him leads, lectured him and insulted him until he wanted to snap his neck in two, and now was setting him free with no consequences.

How did you walk away from something like that?

Ed sighed heavily and marched back to the colonel, thrusting out a hand.

"Seriously," Ed said quietly, "thanks."

Roy stood up so he could properly shake Ed's hand, allowing himself a tiny smile. "Make sure you come back to visit Mrs. Hughes and Elysia."

Ed grunted in acknowledgement then stunned Roy by giving him a proper salute, not the half-assed hand wave the colonel was accustomed to.

"I'll do that."

* * *

_The one called Wrath looked down at it with a wrinkled nose. Envy stood a few feet away with crossed arms and a bored expression. It shivered under Wrath's scrutinizing gaze, wishing the creepy child's attention were somewhere else._

_"You sure you can do it?" Envy said doubtfully._

_Wrath scoffed. "Of course, I'm sure! Human alchemists may not be able to do it, but if I can transmute my own body then I can definitely handle this!"_

_"Fine," Envy grumbled. He held out a small photograph to Wrath, who examined it carefully. _

_"Remember, he's got to look exactly like the shrimp's brother!" Envy said harshly._

_"I know!" Wrath snapped back. He sat down and clapped his right palm to the sole of his left foot. It looked over at Envy in confusion. What was happening?_

_Unexpectedly, it was engulfed in blue light and fiery pain. It screamed, the tortured sound tearing at its throat as the agony went on and on. Hours seemed to pass before the light finally faded and it let itself fall limp. Taking a shuddering breath, it realized that its body was different. It examined its new arms and legs, running a hand over the smooth, unbroken skin in wonder._

_"Not bad!" Envy said gleefully. "I can't wait to see the pipsqueak's reaction…"_

_

* * *

_

"Al? Alphonse, wake up!"

Alphonse shot awake at the sound of his new name, the memory of Wrath's painful transmutation still fresh in his mind. A weight settled on the bed next to him and Alphonse peered through the dorm's darkness until he could make out Ed watching him, forehead wrinkled in worry. Alphonse threw his arms around him in relief.

"Were you having a nightmare?" Ed asked.

Alphonse could only whimper, still shuddering at the frightening images whirling around in his head. His skin tingled and his stomach ached from remembered pain that he half-expected to return for a second assault.

"About what?"

The words left his mouth before Alphonse could stop them.

"_The transmutation…_"

Ed stiffened and his arms tightened around Alphonse protectively. "It's ok. It's all in the past now. Nothing like that will ever happen to you again."

Alphonse nodded weakly, though he was only partially listening. It was several minutes before he was able to calm down and fall back asleep to the comforting rhythm of Ed's heartbeat.


	4. Travelers

Chapter Four - Travelers

Returning from his lunch break, Roy paused to eye the dents on his office door wistfully before striding in. It was hard to believe that the Fullmetal Shorty wouldn't be kicking down the door any time soon. Possibly never again. Hard to believe that only yesterday the youngest Elric brother had regained his human body and left with Ed for Risembool earlier today on first train out. It would take some getting used to.

Roy sat down behind his desk with a heavy sigh. There was already a pile of paperwork waiting for him. To procrastinate or not to procrastinate?

The phone solved that for him by ringing loudly and Roy picked it up with a smirk. How was it that the phone always rung for him at the most opportune times?

"Colonel Mustang speaking."

"_Colonel?_"

"Alphonse?" Roy said in disbelief. "I thought you and Fullmetal would be on the train by now?"

"_The train?_" Al asked, sounding baffled.

"To Risembool," Roy faltered. "Your train should have left five hours ago."

"_They're already gone?!_" Al cried in dismay.

Roy stood up then in a vain effort to dispel a crushing sense of dread. "What do you mean 'they'?" he asked sharply. "Did you miss the train or--?"

"_Colonel, listen to me!_" Al said urgently. "_The boy that Brother found wasn't me! I think he's a homunculus and I have to tell Brother, he's got to know--!_"

"Wait, wait, _wait!_" Roy interrupted. "Back up! A _homunculus?_ How is that even possible?"

"_I don't know!_" Al shouted desperately. "_I don't know how they did it, but--!_"

"How do I know you're Alphonse?" Roy demanded suddenly. "I know for a fact one of the homunculi can change their form to impersonate people!"

There was silence from the end of the line.

"_Colonel,_" Al said slowly, "_I don't really have any proof, but…can you at least call Ed and tell him what I told you? The other homunculi are still after me so I can't stay long. I need to get to Risembool as soon as I can._"

"Why should I--?" Roy began.

"_Just tell him!_" Al begged. "_Please!_"

Roy wavered for a moment, but gave in. "Ok, I'll tell him. But--"

The line clicked and went dead. Roy stared at the receiver in his hand then slowly replaced it and sat back down. It could be a trick. That was the most likely explanation. The homunculi weren't above deceptions like this.

And besides, a homunculus? Homunculi were supposed to take the shape of the person the alchemist was trying to bring back to life. It was impossible for there to be a homunculus that looked like Al's ten-year-old self.

But…Al's sudden transformation had been just that. Sudden. Unexpected. Impossible. To go from an empty suit of armor to being fully human in the space of a few short breaths with no solid explanation was nothing short of a miracle. And Roy didn't believe in miracles.

Roy went over the conversation in his head. It hadn't sounded much like the calm, reserved Al he knew. But, considering the circumstances outlined, Roy supposed it wouldn't be odd at all for Al to be panicking.

It took a moment for Roy to decode the real reason Al had sounded different on the phone.

_His voice was_ _echoing, _Roy thought with a jolt._ Just like when he was in the armor…_

Roy glowered at the phone distrustfully. After a moment of indecision, he picked it up and started dialing, but almost immediately set it back in the cradle. Ed and…the human Al's train had left at seven in the morning. They wouldn't arrive in Risembool for hours yet and Roy couldn't very well leave a message with Ed's mechanic that one of her childhood friends might or might not be a homunculus. His extensive experience with women had taught him that they tended to not take far-fetched tales seriously, especially from men they barely knew.

But after a call like that, he couldn't just sit and do _nothing…_

Roy stood abruptly, snatching up his coat in one hand and his ignition-cloth gloves in the other. He opened his office door and shouted, "Lieutenant! Get everyone together! We're going to take another look at that apartment building!"

* * *

In a flower shop in downtown Central, Al hung up the phone and for a long moment just stared at the ground in misery. The owner of the flower shop, a kind elderly lady, poked her head out of a door leading to the shop's back room. "That was a short call, lad. Did you manage to get a hold of your brother?"

"No," Al said glumly, "but thanks anyway for letting me use your phone."

The woman smiled. "Anytime, dear."

Al left the flower shop and started down the street, keeping a careful eye trained on his surroundings. He ignored the wary glances from the people he passed. Those he was used to. It was the homunculi's violet eyes and threatening expressions he was on the lookout for.

This was going to be more difficult than he'd thought. Al had counted on Ed still being in Central, but no one had answered at his and Ed's dorm room when he called. And now after his talk with the colonel, Al knew that the situation had only gone from bad to worse. Ed and the imposter were long gone and without them Al could offer the colonel no absolute proof about his identity.

Which meant Al could no longer count on the military's help with the other homunculi. It had taken Al the entire night and a good portion of the morning to lose them and his armor still bore a number dents from a brief scuffle with Wrath only hours ago. Al was positive he would be found if he didn't keep moving.

He _had_ to get back to Ed! What's more, he had to talk to Ed with the other Alphonse present. If the boy really was a homunculus, then he had an Ouroboros tattoo somewhere. That would be all the proof Ed would need.

And to do all that, Al had to get to Risembool, but he didn't have any money to buy a train ticket. If this were a normal emergency, he would go withdraw money from Ed's research funds, but what if Ed had given up his title and privileges as a State Alchemist already? Al couldn't see how else Ed would be allowed to return to Risembool so soon unless that were the case.

Briefly, Al considered just up and running the whole way there. But the thought of sprinting across the countryside was daunting, never mind the fact that he needed no food or rest, and it would still take him days to accomplish. But unless he wanted to stow away on a train, that was probably his only choice…

…actually, stowing away on a train might not be a bad idea. Al didn't want to resort to breaking the law, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Twenty minutes later, Al stood outside the train station with a semi-thought out plan in the works. He would be too noticeable in the passenger cars, but Al figured he would be fine if he snuck into the cars carrying all the cargo. That way, he could pretend to be an ordinary suit of armor if anyone came back to check.

"Going somewhere?"

Al flinched and turned toward the sultry voice. Lust stood only a few feet away, wearing a black shawl around her shoulders to hide the Ouroboros on her chest. Al took an uncertain step back in the direction of the train station, but halted when Lust's black fingernails lengthened ever so slightly in warning.

"Now, now," Lust said reproachfully, "not another step. Come now, why don't we make all of this easier and just head back to our little abode?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Al said resolutely, though he was trembling inside.

In the space of a heartbeat, a single black nail extended into a long whip and swiped in Al's direction, making a neat little slice in his chest plate. Startled, Al drew back, but Lust's nail had already returned to its normal appearance. Al doubted anyone had even noticed, it happened so fast.

"Let's try this again," Lust said with a heartless smile. "You are not necessary. If you decide to be difficult, I'll carve up your blood-seal right here and we'll go after your brother instead. It's just more convenient to use you--at least, that's what we thought before you made it less convenient with your little stunt. Envy still aches from his collision with the wall."

"He's not getting an apology," Al muttered, letting a bit of Ed's sarcasm slip into his tone.

"So what will it be?" Lust asked, clearly confident that she had the upper hand.

Al wavered indecisively. He couldn't just give in and go back. They would force him to sacrifice living people to create the Philosopher's Stone and Al couldn't do that. But he doubted he could defeat Lust, especially without alchemy. And then they would go after Ed…

Before Al could make a decision, a pair of arms wrapped around Lust from behind and a man's unshaven face popped up over her shoulder. "Hey, hotness," he breathed in her ear.

Lust's lips grew tight in distaste. "Unhand me, weakling."

The drunk man laughed and staggered a little, but kept hanging on to her. Al watched the situation uneasily. The drunk was going to get himself killed if he kept this behavior up. Anxiously, Al looked around for something to draw an array with and spotted a young girl drawing pictures on the sidewalk. At her side was a bucket filled to the brim with colored chalk.

"Don't play hard to get, sweetie," the drunk whined.

Lust cast a venomous glare over her shoulder and Al took that opportunity to dash to the girl and grab a piece of blue chalk.

"Hey, that's _mine!_" the girl shrieked.

The girl's shout brought Lust's attention back to Al and in a single motion she thwacked the drunk in the head, knocking him out cold. Al hastily scribbled out an array and slammed his hand on it. Amid a flash of brilliant blue light, a cylindrical pit opened beneath Lust and she dropped in. Al completed the transmutation by sealing off the top of the pit until it looked like the sidewalk had never been tampered with in the first place.

"Whoa!" the girl yelled. "You're magic!"

Al grinned inwardly, both at his quick thinking and at the girl's reference to the scientific process of transmutation as 'magic'. If Ed were there, he would have rolled his eyes at the oversimplification.

A muffled grating sound reached Al and he realized Lust was attempting to carve her way out of her prison. Judging by the frequency of the sounds, it wouldn't take her very long.

Looking down at the girl, Al asked, "If I make you a toy, can I keep this chalk?"

* * *

"Now leaving the station! Next stop is Risembool!"

Ed straightened up and stretched his arms over his head, trying to loosen muscles gone stiff from sitting still for so long. This last leg of the journey would only take a few more hours at most and it wouldn't do any good to fall asleep and miss the stop.

A small trolley wheeled up the aisle and the woman manning it gave him a friendly smile. "Any snacks for you or your brother?"

Ed's heart lifted as he cast a glance at Alphonse, who had fallen asleep with his head against the window. This was the first time in four years anyone was able to guess their relation as brothers without being told first. Ed was very glad it wouldn't be the last.

Ed took a moment to select a variety of things from the trolley for himself and Alphonse. He was concerned that Alphonse hadn't eaten much since being returned to his body--just a small dinner the day before and a bite for breakfast before getting on the train. Being able to eat again had been one of the many things his little brother had looked forward to the most once he got his body back, yet Alphonse had hardly shown any enthusiasm for it.

Not for the first time, Ed felt his gut clench at the thought that maybe something was wrong. He'd had that feeling for awhile now and it just wouldn't leave him alone. But he once again dismissed the feeling. Once things slowed down a little, Al would be more like his normal self…

Ed mentally hit himself. He was 'more like his normal self' _now_ than he had been since the transmutation four years ago! So what if he was acting a little different? So what if he no longer showed much interest in the company of their close friends? So what if he was a little more withdrawn and taciturn with other people in general? Alphonse was entitled to act however he wanted!

Except that he wasn't acting quite like the Alphonse Elric that Ed had grown up with…and it was starting to bother him.

Alphonse stirred and opened his eyes. He still seemed half-asleep as he looked around bemusedly, bits of hair sticking up from static cling. Ed forced a smile on his face and held out some of food. "Here, I thought you might like this."

Alphonse murmured his thanks and absently gnawed into the food, like eating was something he did everyday instead of a luxury he'd missed out on for four years of his life. Ed let his gaze drift out the window, deep in thought.

It took him a moment to realize that he was waiting for Alphonse to ask him what was wrong. The Elric brothers could read each other like books, so much so that it had gotten to the point where Ed subconsciously expected his younger brother to approach him about his problems long before he thought to voice them.

_And just how selfish does THAT sound?_ Ed thought savagely, irritated with himself for expecting so much. If anything, Al was the one who deserved to act a bit selfishly after all they had been through...all that _he_ had been through.

Ed cleared his throat and decided to try a stab at conversation. "So what's up with you nodding off so much lately? Did you turn into a cat or something?"

Alphonse jumped a little and smiled sheepishly. "I don't know. I guess I've just been tired, that's all."

"Really?" Ed asked. "I honestly expected you to be bouncing off the walls today. I mean, come on Al! You've got your body back, we're going back to Risembool, I can finally resign from the military! Our lives are ours again!"

Alphonse nodded and looked back out the window. It took some effort on Ed's part not to snap at him in frustration. Why wasn't he more excited? Was it just the same dreamlike shock Ed himself had experienced when he first found Alphonse? Or…could it be that, after all their efforts, regaining his own body really meant so little to him?

Disturbed by the direction his thoughts were heading, Ed sought a distraction in the form of the paper with the transmutation circle Roy had drawn for him. Once again, he scanned the equations and symbols, seeking meaning in the twisting lines.

"What's that?" Alphonse asked curiously.

"Copy of the array I found you in," Ed replied.

Alphonse sat up in his seat, looking much livelier than he had the entire train ride. "Why? I-I mean, why do you have that?"

Ed shrugged. "No reason, really. I'm just curious. Besides, we might need it later."

"Why?"

Ed looked up sharply. "Huh?"

"Why would we need it?" Alphonse repeated in genuine confusion. "I'm already back to normal."

Ed held Alphonse's gaze for a long moment. Then he slipped the paper back in the suitcase and another forced smile found its way to his lips.

"Yeah, you're right."


	5. Complications

_A.N. I've got a love-hate relationship with this story right now. I already have an idea for where I want the story to go, but manipulating the characters in the direction I want is proving to be difficult. That being said, this story will be a bit longer than I planned. Oh well, more for the readers I guess…_

Chapter Five - Complications

Roy stood next to a military car examining the blueprints he had set out on the hood. Across the street was the abandoned apartment complex where Ed had emerged with a newly restored Al in his arms. His subordinates were in the middle of searching the building, but Roy wasn't very hopeful of the results. Whatever plans the homunculi might have, he doubted they were stupid enough to leave many clues behind.

Roy looked up at the sound of footsteps and saw Riza and Havoc approaching.

"Anything?" Roy asked.

Riza shook her head. Havoc lit a cigarette with a sigh. "Sorry, Boss."

Roy swallowed his disappointment and went back to studying the blueprints.

"Sir," Riza said gently, "it might help if you tell us what you're looking for."

Roy ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "That's the problem. I've got nothing but a hunch."

_And a phone call,_ Roy thought, but didn't say out loud. He looked back at the other two and continued, "Don't you think it's strange? How the homunculi specifically led Ed and Al here with some story about an alchemist in danger, only to vanish and leave Al in his human body?"

"I dunno," Havoc said thoughtfully. "Didn't we figure it was some kind of alchemy accident?"

"Just how big of an 'accident' does it take to make all your dreams come true?" Roy pointed out.

Riza's face grew troubled. "But what are you suggesting? That Al returning to normal is part of some elaborate plan of theirs?"

"I think," Roy said cautiously, "there's a chance that the kid we found might not be Al at all."

Roy felt more than saw Riza and Havoc staring at him in disbelief, but he ignored them. Riza had asked for his opinion and Roy had told them. If they thought he was crazy, they could pack up and go home for all he cared.

"Hey, Colonel!"

The three of them looked up to see Breda and Fuery joining them, both carrying flashlights. Fuery had an aggrieved look on his face.

"We found some kind of tunnel in there!" Breda announced. "It goes in a straight line away from the building. I would have taken a look, but _someone_ was too freaked out to join me…"

"Our flashlights are running low on batteries!" Fuery said defensively. "It would have done us no good to walk into a pitfall and end up trapped down there because we had no light."

"Where's the tunnel?" Roy interrupted.

"In the basement," Breda said, pointing out the location on the blueprints. "There were lots of footprints, too."

"Ok," Roy said decisively, "Hawkeye, Havoc and Fuery, you come with me. Breda, you stay and watch the car."

"Aw, I get the most boring job?" Breda whined, but took a place in the driver's seat with minimum complaints.

Roy took Breda's flashlight and led the way back into the building with Havoc, Fuery and Riza shadowing his footsteps. It only took them minutes to reach the basement of the abandoned apartment complex where they found Breda's tunnel--more like a simple hole in the wall with a pile of debris next to it.

"The wall just crumpled when I leaned against it," Fuery said helpfully.

"Then it's either bad construction," Roy said, "or an amateur attempt to cover an escape route."

Roy clicked on his flashlight and entered the tunnel. Behind him, Fuery groaned in despair. The four soldiers shuffled into the darkness, flashlights flickering over the walls and floor in a display that reminded Roy of the chaotic flames his alchemy could summon forth at will. Unconsciously, he tugged one of his ignition-cloth gloves on, leaving the other in his pocket as a backup.

It didn't take long to reach the end of the tunnel and Roy figured by the distance that they were underneath the buildings about two streets northeast of the apartment building. The tunnel ended at a small door badly fitted into its wooden frame. Beams of light from cracks above and to the side of the door stabbed ruthlessly into Roy's eyes. Roy clicked his flashlight off and reached out to shove the door open, but stopped when he heard angry muttering.

"…making me stay here and play watchdog with _you_ just because the tin can got lucky, I swear if Lust would just train you to stop eating everything in sight then we could leave you with all the crappy jobs!"

"Eat? I can eat them?"

"_No_, you dumbass! They--are--_sacrifices!_ You get it? That means you're not allowed to go near them!"

As silently as he could, Roy snuck up to the door and peeked through. On the other side he saw a small living room and an archway leading to a kitchen. The rooms of this building were so rundown that he would have been tempted to call it uninhabited except for the two men in the kitchen. One was extremely fat and watched the basement door with a finger in his mouth and a desolate expression. The other man was pacing around, stringy green hair flipping back and forth with every turn. And Ouroboros tattoo was inked into the man's thigh.

Roy looked back at the other three and mouthed 'homunculus'. Riza, who had already drawn her handgun, nodded curtly and Havoc and Fuery both acknowledged Roy's message. The two men began loading their own guns, though Fuery was fumbling slightly since he still held his flashlight. Roy was relieved that he had already shut it off as well so the light wouldn't give them away.

A child's voice emerged from another room toward the front of the house. "Envy, give me a hand! You won't believe what I found!"

"It had better be the pipsqueak's brother!" Envy roared. He stepped into another door and vanished from sight with his companion lumbering after him. Roy mind raced. Remembering the mention of sacrifices, he cast his gaze toward the basement door the other homunculus had been watching then looked back at his subordinates to double check that they were ready. If there were people being held here, then now was their best chance to help them.

* * *

Envy stomped down the hallway toward the foyer where Wrath's voice had come from. As he walked, he silently swore that if he came in to find anything other than Wrath standing over the beaten remains of a suit of armor then he would go straight to the sacrifices and take out his frustration on one of them. They could always find more.

Stopping in the doorway of the foyer, Envy eyed the mutilated form at Wrath's feet in distaste. "That doesn't look like armor to me," he grumbled and turned to leave.

"It's a homunculus!" Wrath said eagerly.

Envy halted with one foot still in the air, his expression one of disbelief. "Another one? Just how many idiot alchemists are in this city?"

"I think it used to be the same alchemist that made our fake Al," Wrath said astutely. He squatted by the distorted creature and poked it, earning a pained moan. "Someone must have found his body where you left it and tried to bring him back to life."

Wrath chuckled sinfully. "By the time I arrived, there wasn't enough left of whoever transmuted this one to be recognizable. But maybe we'll get lucky and someone else will find _him_ and start the cycle over again."

Envy snorted. "Not likely."

"Envy?" Envy turned to see Gluttony standing in the hallway looking agitated.

"I already _told_ you, you can't eat them!" Envy huffed crossly.

Gluttony shook his head rapidly, making his jowls quiver. "They're taking them," he mumbled mournfully.

"Who's taking who?" Envy snapped.

"The sacrifices," Gluttony said, his face scrunching into an unhappy expression. "They're letting them out…but I'm not allowed to go near the sacrifices. What should I do?"

Envy's already pale face drained of any further color. For a single second, he really considered ripping Gluttony into shreds before dealing with whoever was taking the sacrifices. Trembling in rage, he shoved past Gluttony, howling over his shoulder, "_The one time it was ok for you to eat someone and you just fucking STAND there!_"

* * *

The last of the prisoners vanished into the tunnel along with Havoc and Fuery and Roy shut the door behind them. The two men had the job of leading the group of people to safety then calling for backup. Roy hoped to eventually question the prisoners about the homunculi, but he didn't hold out much hope of gaining any vital information. Most were still in a daze from being locked in a dirty basement for nearly twenty-four hours with no food or water and wouldn't be of much help until they recovered.

"_Bastards!_"

Roy and Riza reacted at the exact same time, Roy snapping his fingers and Riza opening fire. The bullets and the fire hit Envy at the same time and sent him flying backward into the wall.

Roy jumped at the sound of a clap, thinking for one wild moment that it was Ed. He caught a glimpse of Wrath transmuting the ground and dodged sideways at the last moment to avoid being impaled by a spike of wood. He wasn't quite fast enough and the spike caught him in the side, leaving a deep, painful gash.

Frantic gunshots behind him made Roy turn. Riza was backing toward the wall shooting bullet after bullet into Gluttony's stomach. But the homunculus just kept advancing, trails of saliva dripping from his mouth. Roy snapped in his direction and Gluttony squealed as he was engulfed in flames.

"Sir, we need to get out of here!" Riza shouted. "They'll keep regenerating no matter what we do!"

"Damn right we will!" Envy cackled. His body was already regenerating and Roy and Riza watched in shock as he morphed into Edward Elric.

"You're the one in charge of the pipsqueak, right?" Envy said maliciously. "Let's see if you can target your own subordi--"

Envy yelped when a lick of flame scorched his face.

Roy smirked carelessly. "You couldn't have picked a better target. You know there are some days when I just want to fry that shrimp?"

"Then we have something in common!" Envy screeched. He charged and Roy snapped again. Fire roared up around Envy's form, but even with his entire body alight he continued to stagger toward Roy. Riza shot him twice in the head and Envy finally hit the ground.

There was another ominous clap and Roy turned to face Wrath, but paused at the sound of sirens outside. Both soldiers and homunculi glanced toward the window just as five military cars pulled up with more on the way. More soldiers began surrounding the house. Roy blinked. Backup was here already? That had to be some kind of record. He had never known that backup was capable of arriving in time to be _helpful_.

"Well, crap," Envy muttered, only just beginning to recover from being killed twice over. "I'd say our little plan is now a bona fide failure. I ain't sticking around to fight the entire military."

"You'll stick around as long as it takes to tell us what you're plan is!" Roy shouted.

Envy staggered to his feet. "_Was_, you mean. Wrath, go grab the new one, we're out of here."

Wrath ran back down the hallway and Envy smashed a window and kicked Gluttony until he went through.

"_Wait!_" Roy bellowed, but before he could follow them he swayed and dropped to his knees. The blood loss from his side was making him lightheaded and, much to his embarrassment, he sank to the floor in a dead faint.

* * *

"Well, brace yourself Al," Ed said with a grimace.

Alphonse watched curiously as Ed reluctantly knocked on the door of the two story house. From Ed's words on the subject, he had thought that Winry and Granny Pinako were good people like Ed. Why was Ed shifting his weight from foot to foot as if he were nervous?

The door flew open and without warning a wrench came flying out and smacked Ed right in the temple. He fell back with a pained shout and Alphonse jumped back in alarm. No wonder Ed was afraid! These people were _dangerous!_

"_Edward Elric, what have you done to your automail now?!_"

Alphonse yelped in terror when a girl with platinum-blonde hair stepped out onto the porch, a second wrench held at the ready.

"You were just here a month ago!" she shouted. "How can you have _possibly_ broken something already? I swear, if you don't start--!"

She froze mid-sentence when she caught sight of Alphonse and the wrench dropped from her limp hand. Alphonse paled, wondering if she was about to pull out a much more painful weapon to use on him.

"Alphonse?" she asked dumbly.

"Um…y-yeah?" Alphonse mumbled, offering her a tiny, hopeful smile.

"_Alphonse!_"

The frightening girl then proceeded to tackle Alphonse and squeeze him so hard that for a moment he actually couldn't breathe. Looking over her shoulder, Alphonse saw Ed smiling at the display and he started to think that maybe this girl wasn't so bad after all. She seemed to like _him_ at least.

"Easy, Winry," Ed said with a laugh. "Give him some space!"

So this was Winry. Distantly, Alphonse wondered how scary Granny Pinako would be.

"When did this _happen?_" Winry demanded. "I mean, I just can't believe it! Why didn't you call and tell us?!"

"It just happened yesterday!" Ed said defensively. "And it was kind of unexpected so don't give me that look…crap, Winry why are you crying?!"

Winry smacked Ed's shoulder. "Because I'm _happy_ that's why!" she choked through her tears. "Come inside, both of you! I want the whole story!"

"Alright, alright," Ed said resignedly, though he kept casting furtive, guilty looks in Winry's direction. "Just…stop crying, it's…weird…"

The three of them entered the house and arrived in a spacious living room. Alphonse looked around, wondering how long they would be staying with Winry. Then it struck him that maybe _this_ was their home. After all, Ed had said nothing about a house of their own.

Winry ran off to find Granny Pinako and Alphonse took that opportunity to ask, "How long are we going to stay?"

Ed gave him an odd look. "What do you mean? Why _wouldn't_ we stay here?"

Alphonse shrugged evasively, wishing he hadn't said anything. Ed was giving him far too many of those odd looks lately and he was afraid of what they meant.

Just then, a very short woman entered the room wearing stained work clothes. Her face was lined with age, but she held Alphonse under her sharp scrutiny for so long that he began to wonder if this was how a mouse felt under an eagle's eye. This woman could only be Pinako.

At last, Pinako smiled. "Well, I'll be…you look well, Alphonse."

"Thanks," Alphonse said shyly.

Pinako's gaze shifted to Ed. "So if Al is back to the way he was…"

Ed pulled back the sleeve of his right arm with a rueful smile. "Sorry, you've still got to deal with me as a customer."

"Tch, you know you're our favorite customer, Ed," Pinako said good-naturedly. "Speaking of which, we should give your automail limbs a check up while you're here."

"And I still want to hear about how this happened," Winry reminded them. "I'll go get my tools and you can tell the story while I work."

"Works for me," Ed said with a shrug. "We'll just go drop our stuff off in the guest room."

"You do that," Pinako agreed, settling down on the couch with a pipe in her hand.

Ed motioned for Alphonse to follow him and they tramped up the stairs to a room with two twin beds on opposite walls. Alphonse looked out at Risembool's green fields. They seemed to stretch on and on forever under the light of the late afternoon sun. All that open space was such a strange sight to Alphonse, who had only ever known the buildings of Central.

"You coming, Al?"

Alphonse turned at the question. Ed had finished unpacking and now stood in the doorway.

"I'll come in a minute," Alphonse said quickly.

"…alright."

Ed stepped out the door and his footsteps faded down the hallway. Alphonse slowly turned back to the window and leaned on the wooden sill. He had to be much more careful from now on. He couldn't afford to give himself away. Not now. Alphonse _liked_ Ed. Spending time with the young alchemist had made him happier than ever.

But every time he turned around, there was Ed giving him another one of those _looks_. Of course, Alphonse knew he and the real Al were different people, but Envy had reassured him that Ed would be too happy having his brother back to normal to notice the difference. Now, Alphonse wasn't so sure he believed the homunculus.

And being back in territory that was obviously familiar to Ed didn't help. Ed expected him to know these people, to recognize this place and be happy they were there. Alphonse was forced to lie through his teeth, pretending he cared when in truth he'd rather be somewhere else, somewhere far away. It had gotten to the point that Alphonse had to actively restrain himself from a heated retort whenever Ed brought up something about their past—about his and the real Al's past. It was a slap in the face, a brutal reminder that he wasn't there first.

"He's _my_ brother," Alphonse whispered, though in the end he knew he was fooling himself just as much as he was fooling Ed.


	6. Brother

_A.N. Warning! Angst ahead! I had soooo much fun writing this chapter!_

Chapter Six - Brother

The military kept up their search of the apartment building and the abandoned house until well after dark. In time, it was safe to return and Envy demanded that everyone gather on the roof so he would have room to pace and a starry sky to curse. Lust stood near the edge of the roof watching the city below with Gluttony at her side. Wrath sat off to the side, occupying himself with mechanically shoving Red Stones into the mouth of the new homunculus. Even after an hour of feeding, the creature still didn't resemble anything remotely human.

"Well, now what?" Wrath said dully.

"You expect me to know that?" Envy retorted. "Maybe if _someone_ had let _me_ go look for the kid instead, he wouldn't have gotten any further than the train station and all of this would have been salvageable!"

"He caught me by surprise," Lust murmured. "An unfortunate set of circumstances."

"I'm hungry," Gluttony mumbled. Lust stroked his head absently while keeping her eyes trained toward the dark horizon.

"By the way, it's your little _pet's_ fault we lost the sacrifices," Envy growled.

"And it's your fault we lost our alchemist," Lust replied.

"Then let's go after him!" Envy snapped. "If we hurry, we can--!"

"And where do you propose we start looking?" Lust asked, not expecting an answer.

"Isn't that obvious?" Envy asked. He hopped onto the low stone wall on the edge of the building and pointed off into the distance. "_Risembool!_ That's where the pipsqueak and the brat will eventually end up and the tin can will follow them! Humans are so freaking attached to their homes it's a wonder they ever want to leave."

Lust turned away from her inspection of the city to raise an eyebrow at Envy. "And your plan once we get there? The younger Elric has made it clear that he won't be controlled."

A malicious grin crept over Envy's face. Stepping back down from the wall, he marched over to Wrath and looked down on the new homunculus with a predatory expression.

"It worked on the older brother," Envy breathed. "Why wouldn't it work on the younger?"

Four sets of violet eyes turned to the creature curled up at Wrath's side. The homunculus quivered under their cold-blooded gazes and its terrified whimper fell on deaf ears.

* * *

Al stumbled wearily down the dirt road, soul-fire eyes dim with mind-numbing fatigue. Nevertheless, they brightened in relief at the sight of the Rockbell home just down the road. He had finally made it.

Exhausted in mind and spirit, Al left the road and strode into a stand of trees where he sank to the ground with his back against one of the trunks. His armor had definitely seen better days, caked as it was with road dust on top of the dents and scratches. He had been discovered stowed away on the train a mere two stations from Risembool and had to run the rest of the way on foot. That set him back a few hours and it was now well past midnight.

Now, for the hard part--revealing the identity of the imposter to Ed. Al was dying to just sprint down the road, burst into the Rockbell home and scream that the one they thought was Alphonse was a fake. But a rash act like that wouldn't help matters much. If anything, the residents might reach the conclusion that Al himself was the imposter. Al had to get his thoughts together so he could be prepared for whatever reaction Ed threw his way.

Al clasped his hands together, an unconscious reflex from when he still had a human body to keep his hands from trembling out of nerves. It was time now. Ed would finally learn that Al _hadn't_ been returned to normal, hadn't changed at all in fact since they last saw each other. There were many scenarios Al could think of for how Ed would respond to that, but the one he dreaded the most was disappointment. The joy Ed had experienced the day he found the imposter would be revealed as an illusion, a lie.

And they would have to start over, Al realized dully. Ed would return to the military and they would keep looking for the Philosopher's Stone (or rather a way to make it without sacrificing human lives). It would be back to traveling around the country on the military's orders, going on missions, getting hurt, searching, always searching.

And not for the first time, a traitorous thought inserted itself in the back of Al's mind. What if Ed didn't want to go back to that? Only days ago, the very idea that Ed would refuse to keep searching for a way to return them to normal would have been ludicrous.

But now…

_As far as he knows, your long journey is at an end…what do you think his reaction would be if you walked in and informed him otherwise?_

Ed had finally gotten a taste of freedom, of a normal life…

_Your brother just got the one thing he's been trying to get for the past four years…_

Forcing his older brother back to a life he couldn't stand was the very _last_ thing Al wanted to do…

_He's got his human brother…why would he want a clunky suit of armor back?_

Al looked up at the starry sky. "What am I going to do?" he whispered. "How am I supposed to tell him?"

A harsh _bang!_ echoed through the night and Al jumped at the noise before he recognized it as the sound of a screen door slamming. He peered through the trees toward the Rockbell home and if he'd had lungs his breath would have caught. The other Alphonse had come outside. He was dressed in a pair of boxers and an oversized shirt that Al recognized as Ed's. He wasn't sure why the sight surprised him so much--after all, Al didn't have clothes of his own so of course Ed would have lent the homunculus some.

_But it should be me, _Al thought, feeling a familiar pang of jealousy consume him.

Without thinking, Al stood up and started toward the Rockbell home. At the edge of the stand of trees, something held him back and prevented him from revealing himself in the open. Should he confront the other Alphonse now or talk to Ed first? Al wanted to go down there and do _something_, whether to just yell at the homunculus boy or even pick a fight, something he normally tried to avoid. But if Ed saw the two of them fighting, would he defend the other Alphonse first and ask questions later?

The imposter left the porch suddenly and started toward the stand of trees where Al was hidden. Not knowing what else to do, Al backed up further to make sure he wouldn't be seen. When the other Alphonse was halfway between the house and the trees, another _bang!_ reverberated over the hills and Al saw Ed leaving the house, jogging after the homunculus.

"Al, wait up!"

The other Alphonse turned around and waited for Ed to catch up. Ed murmured what sounded like a question. The imposter shrugged and Al barely caught his response. "I couldn't sleep. I thought a walk would help."

"Is it all right if I join you?" Ed asked after a moment.

The imposter didn't answer right away, but then he nodded and the two of them walked side by side toward the trees. Al watched the interaction with mixed emotions. It was so bizarre and strangely backward seeing the two of them together, like looking through a window into the past only with an Ed that was slightly taller and had long hair.

And yet…if Al had had skin, the tension between the two of them would have been enough to raise goosebumps on his arms. He and Ed were only that edgy around each other when there was something bothering them both that neither was ready to discuss yet. Had something happened between Ed and the other Alphonse?

The homunculus stopped a short distance into the trees and sat down on a fallen log. Ed sat next to him, but kept as much distance between them as possible. Al shifted so that he could see them better, accidentally snapping a twig in the process. Ed glanced back in search of the noise, but Al was well hidden and after a moment Ed seemed to dismiss it.

"You know," Ed said tentatively, "it was just a suggestion. It was Winry's idea as a sort of 'getting back to normal' present."

The homunculus looked away from Ed. "I know. I just…I don't see the point of adopting a kitten."

A kitten?! Al very nearly jumped up and down in delight. He had always wanted to own a kitten, but Ed had never allowed it because they didn't have the means to care for it. The thought that both Ed and Winry had brought it up blew Al away.

But it wasn't for him. It was for the other Alphonse. As a present for returning to normal.

Al resisted the urge to punch the tree he was hiding behind.

"You've _always_ wanted a kitten," Ed pointed out, unknowingly echoing Al's thoughts. "I really thought it would make you happy."

"I've just changed my mind, that's all," the imposter said firmly.

Ed watched the other Alphonse for a long, long moment and Al could see a virtual thundercloud brewing behind his eyes.

"Yeah," Ed said quietly as he stood and began to walk away, "there are a lot of things that have changed about you, aren't there…"

The homunculus spun around. "What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

Ed stopped and stuffed his hands in his pockets, keeping his head down so that his hair hid his eyes. Al read an awful lot of emotions in that posture--anger, frustration, the ever-present guilt and behind it all a great deal of internal pain. This wasn't just any argument about a kitten…or rather, it wasn't _just_ about the kitten. No, _this_ had been building up, one thing on top of another until the breaking point was reached.

And Al was gratified by the fact that if it had been _him_ in the imposter's place then he would have seen it coming long before it got to this point.

"I just mean that you're not the Al I knew," Ed said carefully.

The other Alphonse stood up warily, his face betraying the tiniest flicker of worry. "What do you mean?" he asked innocently. "I'm still me. I just look a little different."

Ed whirled around. "That's not what I mean! It's not that you look different, you _are_ different!"

"What do you care if I've changed a little?" the imposter snapped back hurtfully. "People change! It happens!"

"Maybe they do," Ed conceded, "but not to the extent that you have. I always thought I knew you, Al…but after the past few days I'm beginning to doubt if I ever knew you at all."

Though they weren't directed at him, Al cringed at those words. Then it hit him that, in a roundabout sort of way, they _were_ directed at him. Ed thought he was talking to his real brother.

"And just what is it that's so different about me?" the imposter asked and Al didn't know if it was his imagination, but it sounded like there was a trace of panic in his voice.

Ed and the other Alphonse glared daggers at each other while Al watched him both in amazement. Now was probably the best time for him to walk in and drop the bomb on his brother, but he was still reeling from what he was seeing and hearing. Al had fully expected that when he came to Risembool he would intrude on a happy, cheerful Ed spending time with what he thought was his little brother. Al hadn't expected _this_. He had been right from the beginning. Ed _did_ know the difference between the fake and the real thing, he just didn't understand why there _was_ a difference!

"Why don't you call be 'Brother' anymore?" Ed asked abruptly.

The imposter blinked. "Huh?"

Ed put his hands on his hips. "You heard me."

The other Alphonse seemed almost tongue-tied for a moment. "Is that all?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Isn't that _enough?_" Ed shot back. "You've _always_ called me that! Ever since you were too young to pronounce my real name, you've called me 'Brother'. I didn't really notice at first, but all of a sudden it hit me that you haven't said it once since the transmutation. Not _once_."

The homunculus faltered. "W-well, I don't know…it's kind of old-fashioned, don't you think?"

"That never stopped you before," Ed said quietly. "Why is it that only now you've changed your mind about it?"

_Because he's not me_, Al thought.

"Fine, if it means so much to you, I'll use it," the imposter huffed. With that, he turned his back on Ed and crossed his arms, staring fixedly out over the plains of Risembool. Ed ignored the silent demand to leave and stayed in his place.

"Anything else,_ Brother?_" the homunculus asked derisively.

A pained look crossed Ed's face. He opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to think better of it and started walking away. He only got two steps before he stopped.

"Just one more thing," Ed murmured.

Both Al and the other Alphonse waited, but whatever it was Ed seemed very reluctant to speak further. Al could see his brother's fists clenched tightly.

"Four years ago," Ed began, "I made a promise to you. It was just before my automail surgery, remember? I looked you right in the eye and I promised that I would become a State Alchemist and get you your body back."

The other Alphonse faced Ed and nodded. "I remember."

Al wanted to scream that no he _didn't_ remember because he _wasn't_ _there!_

"Do you?" Ed whispered. "I made that promise to you, but…"

Slowly, ever so slowly, Ed's left hand moved up and gripped his right shoulder.

"…you made a promise to me too. And I know I always said if we got your body back it wouldn't matter, but…but damn it, Al that promise was still important to me!"

Almost as if the universe sympathized with Ed's emotional struggle, a cluster clouds crossed the moon and the world around them grew a little darker. The other Alphonse seemed to have run out of excuses at last and he knew it. He couldn't defend himself against the betrayal in Ed's voice, the wounded look in his eyes.

"E-Ed…I don't know what…"

"You promised me," Ed interjected. "And it's not even the fact that you haven't kept your word that's bothering me. I don't care if you ever keep it. Just the fact that you cared enough to _make_ it…_that's_ what mattered to me!"

A shudder wracked through Ed's body and his next words were shaky with repressed emotion. "And now…now every time I ask you how you got your body back you just…brush me off. It's like you don't even care anymore, if you ever cared in the first place…"

"But, I--"

"Just tell me the truth, Al!" Ed shouted. "Were you lying to me the whole time? Do my feelings and my trust mean _nothing_ to you?!"

"_They're not nothing!_"

Al didn't realize he'd shouted those words aloud until both Ed and the imposter spun in his direction, searching for the one who had spoken. It was too late to take the words back, which Al wouldn't have done anyway, so he stepped out from the shadows of the trees.

Ed's eyes widened and his head swiveled back and forth between Al and the homunculus.

"What are you doing here?!" the imposter cried in dismay. "You're not supposed to be here!"

Al ignored him and approached his brother, but Ed backed away apprehensively. "What's going on?" Ed demanded in a low voice. He still couldn't seem to decide which Alphonse to look at.

"Don't listen to anything he says!" the imposter said desperately. "H-he's not--"

"Brother…"

That got Ed's attention. His gaze finally rested on Al, who took that opportunity to close the distance between them and kneel down so he and Ed were nearly eye level.

And if Al hadn't known what to say to convince Ed before, he certainly knew now.

"I haven't forgotten my promise," Al said calmly. "I promised to come with you once you became a State Alchemist and that someday I would get your real arm and leg back. That promise means more to me than you realize. I'll never, _ever_ forget it."

Ed sucked in a breath at those words. Al watched a dozen emotions fight for dominance in Ed's eyes, but the one that found its way to the surface was the last one he expected--relief. A small chuckle escaped from him as he reached out and laid a hand on top of Al's helmet.

"That sounds like something my brother would say," Ed said softly. His smile vanished suddenly as he took in the state of Al's armor. "What the hell happened to you?!" he exclaimed.

Thrown by the subject change, Al stammered, "Um, I had some problems getting here…it's a _long_ story…"

"Speaking of which," Ed muttered, turning to the other Alphonse with an expression that promised pain to come, "mind explaining who the hell _you_ are?"

* * *

_Mind explaining who the hell YOU are?_

At those words, Alphonse turned and fled. He didn't know what else to do. The real Al had returned and Ed had chosen him without a second thought. Alphonse supposed he should have known better than to hope Ed would pick him, but he was only now beginning to understand…

"Get him, Al!"

A flash of light was his only warning and Alphonse swerved to avoid the wall that sprang up in his path. He slipped on the tall grass, but recovered quickly and kept running. Ed's uneven steps and the real Al's clunking ones tailed him closely.

And Alphonse hated the sound of those steps. He hated Al with every fiber of his created being. For taking away his brother, a brother he only got to be with for two days. For taking away his only chance at a real family, a real life. For condemning him to the pathetic half-life that was all he had known before he met Ed.

"That way, Brother!"

"I got it!"

A clap. Stone hands this time. Alphonse dove sideways to avoid them and managed to escape with only a scrape on the cheek. The footsteps pursuing him were closing in.

Alphonse never thought he would ever find something he had in common with Envy, yet now he proved to be mistaken. At that moment, all he felt was envy. It filled his lungs and clogged his throat. He was nearly blind with it. The scene from seconds ago replayed in his mind and he watched again and again as Ed greeted his armored brother with a knowing smile and welcoming words.

_That sounds like something my brother would say…_

And Alphonse finally understood that he would never have what they had. It wasn't possible. Brothers knew each other from birth. Brothers never left one another's side. Brothers were together always, from beginning to end. It was impossible to jump in the middle of something like that. Alphonse failed because he couldn't fill the place in Ed's heart that was already occupied by someone.

Ed already had a brother. Al was his little brother.

And Alphonse was nothing to him, nothing to anyone.

A nobody. A homunculus.

A double flash of light spelled his defeat and a stone cage materialized around Alphonse. Beyond the bars, he watched Ed and Al approaching him and the mixed anger and disgust in Ed's eyes made him wish he was still human enough to cry.

"Who are you?!" Ed bellowed. "_Why did you do this to us?!_"

Alphonse faced those eyes and for the first time he knew shame--the shame of knowing he had disappointed the one person whose opinion really, truly mattered to him.

"I just wanted a brother," Alphonse choked. The shadows of emotions within him built up and he let them all out at once in one agonizing scream.

"_I just wanted a brother!_"


	7. Revelations

_A.N. Just a few more chapters left. They're a bit rushed because I've been busy and can't spend as much time on them as I'd like. I hope no one is getting confused by the plot! I get confused by it sometimes…_

Chapter Seven - Revelations

"Is it too much to ask that hospitals provide patients with phones in their rooms?" Roy grumbled.

Riza ignored the colonel's complaints and focused on making sure he didn't trip and fall flat on his face as they traversed the hospital corridors. It was the day after their battle with the homunculi and Roy had insisted on getting up at the crack of dawn to call Ed and tell him what had occurred. Roy had finally seen fit to inform her of the strange call from Al and they were both worried about the implications of the sacrifices they had rescued. It was time to get to the bottom of things.

At last, they made it to the reception area and Roy didn't bother to ask permission before he picked up the phone on the desk and started dialing. The receptionist looked like she wanted to protest, but a sharp glance from Riza changed her mind and she made herself scarce.

Roy counted four rings before someone at the Rockbell residence decided to answer.

"_This had better be life-or-death because it's the crack of dawn and last night was a bad night all around!_"

Roy cleared his throat. "Ms. Rockbell? This is Colonel Mustang, I need to speak with Full--with Edward."

For a few seconds, all he heard were shuffling sounds and muffled voices.

"_Colonel?_"

"Fullmetal? You sound like a zombie."

A mirthless chuckle reached Roy's ear. "_Yeah, we didn't get much sleep here last night._"

Roy was sorely tempted to ask just what had happened to make everyone so cranky, but he had to keep his priorities straight. "Listen, Fullmetal. Yesterday, my subordinates and I found where the homunculi were hiding. The homunculi escaped, but we saved a group of people that were being held as prisoners. The homunculi mentioned using them as sacrifices."

Surprisingly, all he got was a resigned sigh from Ed's end of the line. "_It's just like Al told us then…_"

"What did Al tell you?" Roy asked warily. He was still trying to figure out how to politely ask Ed to check whether his brother was a homunculus without sending the prodigy into a defensive rage.

"_I guess I should explain that,_" Ed muttered. "_Al showed up here early this morning--the real Al. Turns out the kid I picked up is a homunculus. Showed us his Ouroboros and everything._"

Well, _that_ made everything a great deal easier and it also explained the harsh curtness behind Ed's words. Still, Roy was glad that the boy's status as a homunculus was now a certainty and that the real Al had made it to Risembool. He'd been worried ever since Al hung up on him that he would get captured again without anyone to help him.

"_Why don't you sound at all disturbed by this?_" Ed asked suspiciously.

"Actually," Roy said delicately, "Al called me yesterday afternoon and tried to explain what was happening. But I wasn't sure whether it was really him or not, so--"

A howl of fury blasted Roy's eardrum and he held the phone a good foot away from his head to avoid Ed's outburst.

"_You BASTARD! You mean Al asked you for help and you fucking LEFT him on his own?! Say your prayers, Mustang because I'm going to rip your guts out when I get back there, I swear--!_"

"_Brother, calm down! You're going to wake Pinako!_"

"_--burn you with your own damn gloves and leave you for the vultures to find--!_"

There was the sound of a brief scuffle and Roy listened to the increasingly grotesque threats in amusement. Ed's screams faded away and there were a few seconds of white noise before Al's voice came on the phone. "_Sorry, Colonel! Brother's just a little upset. He's going to be awhile calming down._"

Recognizing the echo of armor, Roy relaxed. "It's good to hear from you, Al. I'm glad you made it to Risembool."

"_Me too,_" Al answered. "_I've just been telling Brother about what happened to me, but it sounded like he didn't get around to telling you._"

"I'd appreciate more information," Roy said. "Have you questioned the homunculus at all?"

"_Not really,_" Al said after a moment. "_Ed locked him in the Rockbell's basement. He's not trying to escape or anything, but he won't talk to us either._"

"I still don't get it," Roy said in confusion. "What could the homunculi hope to gain by this?"

"_They wanted me to make a Philosopher's Stone out of human sacrifices,_" Al answered softly. "_They had the homunculus pretend to be me so that no one would know to try and find me._"

Roy's stomach turned to ice. He gripped the phone tightly. "Alphonse…did you…?"

"_No, of course not!_" Al said vehemently. "_I escaped before they could make me do anything._"

"That's something to be grateful for, at least," Roy said in relief.

"_Colonel?_" Al asked hesitantly. "_What should we do about the homunculus? We can't imprison him forever, but we can't just let him go…_"

That gave Roy pause for thought. What _were_ they going to do about the fake Al? Letting him go was out of the question since he might rejoin the others of his kind in their plans.

After a moment's thought, Roy decided that he couldn't make this decision on the fly. He had to think it out first, but there was one thing he knew for sure. The Al-look-a-like couldn't stay in Risembool. The other homunculi were still free and there was a distinct possibility they would try to get the boy back, which put Ed, Al and their childhood neighbors in danger.

"Just keep him there for now," Roy said eventually. "My subordinates and I will come to Risembool as soon as possible and take charge of him."

"_But what will you do with him?_" Al asked anxiously and Roy was surprised to hear a note of concern in his voice.

"I'm not sure yet," Roy admitted, "but whatever we decide, don't feel too sorry for him. He's not a human being. He can't expect to be treated as one."

Al was silent for so long that at first Roy thought the line had gone dead.

"_I know,_" Al said finally. "_I understand._"

Roy wondered if he truly did. "Is Fullmetal calm enough to have a civilized conversation?" he asked.

"_I think so._"

Roy heard Al asking something and a grumbled response before he sensed the phone switching hands.

"_What now, bastard?_" Ed snapped.

"I just thought I'd let you know that you can still have your two weeks off," Roy said coolly. "After that, I expect to see you back in my office with a silver watch in your pocket."

Ed's response, when it came, was solid with determination and more than a touch of arrogance.

"_And I expect YOU to have a lead waiting for me on your desk._"

The line clicked and Roy hung up the phone with his trademark smirk in place.

The Fullmetal Alchemist was back.

* * *

Ed replaced the phone and returned to the living room. Al had rejoined Winry on the couch and Ed flopped down in a nearby chair. After the homunculus was secured in the basement, Ed and Winry had spent hours cleaning and repairing Al's armor until it no longer looked like he'd been dragged through hell and high water to get to Risembool. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon.

Remembering Al's explanation of what he went through, Ed's heart was besieged by guilt. It pained him to know that Al had been in danger while _he_ was lavishing all his attention on an imposter. A _fake_. It was taking a lot of willpower on Ed's part not to march down to the basement and beat the living crap out of the homunculus who tried to take Al's place.

Except…

Except that every time Ed tried to hate him, the boy's words came back to haunt his thoughts.

_I just wanted a brother!_

But that still didn't excuse what he'd done. Ed couldn't believe he allowed himself to be tricked so easily.

"What's this?"

Ed came out of his thoughts and realized Al was holding up the paper with the transmutation circle from the storage room. And as Ed ran his eyes over the array for the hundredth time, it finally hit him why he was having so much trouble interpreting the intricate equations.

"It's gibberish," Ed murmured.

Al looked from the array to Ed. "Huh?"

"It's the transmutation circle I found the kid in," Ed amended. "I've been trying to figure out how it works, but the truth is it _doesn't_. It's just a bunch of alchemic symbols and lines thrown together to look like a complex array. It's something anyone could create, even if they knew nothing about alchemy."

Ed crossed his arms sulkily. The homunculi had really set them up this time, going so far as to make a fake Al, a false array and an extra set of armor so Ed wouldn't have any reason to doubt the imposter.

Al set the paper back down on the side table. "The colonel said he would come and take the homunculus into custody," he said quietly.

"Good," Ed growled. It was a relief to know the boy would soon be in someone else's hands.

"He had us all fooled, didn't he?" Winry said softly. There were dark circles under her eyes and her head was bowed in defeat.

"Not for long, he didn't," Ed said quickly, hoping to snap her out of the depressed state she seemed to have fallen into. Ed understood her feelings perfectly. Though he was glad to have Al back, the realization that Al was still in armor when they had thought otherwise had come as a shock. It was just one more thing Ed couldn't forgive the homunculus for.

"Brother," Al began uncertainly, "don't you feel a little sorry for him? Maybe the other homunculi forced him into this."

_I just wanted a brother!_

"I don't give a damn about him," Ed lied, "and you shouldn't either, Al! Not after what you went through because of him."

"But you heard him, Brother!" Al protested. "I really think he just wanted a chance at a normal life. We can't fault him for that."

"I fault him for every lying word that came out of his mouth," Ed spat angrily.

The room fell silent as everyone lost themselves in their thoughts. After a moment, Winry stood up. "I'm going to make some breakfast," she announced unenthusiastically. On her way to the kitchen, she stopped next to Al and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm glad you're ok."

Al inclined his head in embarrassment. "Thanks, Winry."

After Winry's exit, Ed and Al sat in silence for so long that Ed began to wonder if Al was giving him the silent treatment. The thought made him cringe, but Al had every right to be angry with him after all of this. He started frantically thinking of something to say to earn Al's forgiveness, something that would convey how horrible he felt about the whole situation. A simple 'I'm sorry' didn't seem adequate enough, but Ed really couldn't come up with anything else. Just as he was about to say the words, Al stood up.

"I'm going to talk to him," Al said decisively.

Ed blinked and, realizing who Al was talking about, stammered, "Why?"

Al strode into the hallway toward the basement door. "I want to know what his reasons were," he explained. "I really don't think he meant to hurt either of us."

Ed rushed forward and blocked Al's path. "Didn't mean to hurt us?" he repeated incredulously. "Al, I'm willing to bet he knew _exactly_ what would happen to you and he went along with it anyway!"

"But we don't know that for sure!" Al persisted. "I still want to ask him."

"What makes you think he'll tell us the truth?" Ed demanded.

"Because he has nothing else left," Al shot back. "And once the colonel gets here, you know what will happen. He'll be turned over to the military and taken to some underground research lab just like Lab 5! I don't believe he deserves that and I don't think you do either."

Al had him there. Much as Ed hated to admit it, the kid really wasn't like the other homunculi who seemed to enjoy causing others pain if only to justify their own existence. The fake Al was different. He was selfish, certainly--after all, he had tried to keep Ed to himself--but was that any reason to lock him up?

Al reached for the handle on the basement door and Ed gripped his wrist to stop him.

"Brother--" Al began impatiently.

"I'll talk to him," Ed said quickly.

"You…you will?" Al asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Ed muttered grudgingly. "I mean…I'm still pissed as all hell, but you're right. I want to know what his motives were just as much as you do."

Al slowly released the door handle. Ed reached up and started unlatching the locks he had alchemized into place, not trusting the basement's single deadbolt against a potentially powerful homunculus.

"Brother?"

Ed turned to see that Al hadn't left the hallway. "Brother," Al said again, "um…what are we going to do once this is over?"

"What do you mean?" Ed asked, puzzled by the question. "We'll pick up where we left off. Mustang gave me a couple weeks of leave, but I still have my title."

"Oh, ok," Al said, sounding much happier than he had minutes before.

"Why do you ask?" Ed inquired.

"No reason," Al replied cheerfully. "I think I'll go help Winry make breakfast."

"Wait, Al," Ed said hastily. "Listen I'm…I'm sorry. If I'd known what was going on, I would have _never_ left you with those monsters. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do," Al said softly. "Besides, from what I saw when I got here, you would have figured it out soon anyway. I just…I feel so bad that you thought I didn't care about you…"

"Is that what you're worried about?" Ed asked with a laugh. "Al, as happy as I was thinking you were back to normal, it doesn't compare to what I felt when you came walking up last night."

"So…you're not upset or anything?" Al asked nervously. "About me still being in armor?"

"I'm upset that I was tricked into thinking you were back to normal," Ed corrected him, "but mostly I'm just glad to have the real you back with me."

Then, to Ed's amazement, Al responded by getting down on his knees and wrapping his arms around him. Ed hugged him back tightly, heedless of the fact that the armor was chilled by the morning air and made him want to shiver. The two of them hardly ever hugged like this anymore and Ed missed it more than he cared to admit.

"I traded my arm for my brother's soul," Ed said gently, "not his face."

He felt Al squeeze him a little tighter before he let go. Ed watched him stand up and head to the kitchen to help Winry, feeling the last bit of tension unlock from his chest in knowing that he had his brother back. The horrible fear he had kept locked away until last night--the fear that the transmutation had somehow altered the very core of Al's being--was no more. Ed was even beginning to wonder why he hadn't known it wasn't Al from the beginning. If he had spent less time guiltily missing the way Al used to be and more time trying to figure out _why_ Al was different, he could have exposed the imposter and saved himself a world of hurt.

Speaking of which…

Ed cast the basement door a gloomy look, opened the last lock and gave the handle a halfhearted tug. It was time for answers and the homunculus locked below had a lot to answer for.

At the bottom of the stairs, Ed took a steadying breath and turned toward the basement's far corner. The homunculus sat on a wooden chair, staring at the floor with an empty, half-lidded gaze. Ed had used alchemy to mold the wood of the chair around the boy's wrists and ankles, effectively shackling him down, and it looked like he had made no move to escape.

Looking around, Ed spotted a second chair and swung it around so the back faced the homunculus. He sat down backwards, wrapping his arms around the chair's back, and regarded the boy silently. Now that Ed knew it wasn't Al he was looking at, he couldn't bear the sight of his brother's real face, but they could hardly have a conversation if one of them was looking the other way.

"Are you going to kill me?" the imposter whispered.

Ed swallowed thickly, troubled by the forlorn words spoken in Al's voice.

"No," Ed murmured.

The boy finally looked up and, though there was anger in them as Ed expected, there was also a kind of sadness that he hadn't thought a homunculus capable of feeling.

"Then what will happen to me?" the homunculus asked.

"The military's going to take you into custody," Ed answered. "I don't know what will happen after that."

Receiving no response, Ed ventured to ask, "Aren't you at all worried? I thought you'd be trying to get back to the others."

"You mean the other homunculi?" the boy growled. At Ed's nod, he ground his teeth and glared at the wall. "I wouldn't go back even if I could. I hate them."

"Why?" Ed asked, surprised by the venom behind those words.

The homunculus gave a short, barking laugh. "If your first memory was of some green-haired bully shoving Red Stones in your mouth and the days after consisted of being pushed around by a group of creatures claiming to be the same as you, you'd hate them to."

Ed couldn't come up with a response to that at first. He'd thought all the homunculi on the same page, but apparently there was more to the picture.

"But," Ed faltered, "then why didn't you leave? Why did you go along with them at all?"

The homunculus avoided his eyes and he seemed almost ashamed as he spoke. "They had the Red Stones. We need those to stay alive. It was my only choice at the time."

That, at least, was understandable. Ed already knew that homunculi were immortal thanks to the Red Stones created from human lives, though the idea of the homunculi _needing_ the Stones the same way humans needed food made him feel slightly ill.

"Why do you look like Al?" Ed asked after a moment.

"Wrath," the homunculus said simply. "He looked at a photo and transmuted me to look like this. I don't remember what I used to look like."

Ed made a mental note to check the handful of photos he had stashed away in his suitcase. Since he and Al had burned down their home in Risembool, his stash and a few framed photos in the Rockbell home were the only ones in existence that showed Al's real self. How had Wrath gotten hold of one?

"So," Ed said slowly, "you just went along with pretending to be Al because the homunculi wanted you to?"

The homunculus shrugged noncommittally. "I guess so. I wasn't sure I liked the idea at first, but…you were so nice to me when we met. And I hated what I was…I hated being a homunculus and you made me forget that. I wanted to be just a normal kid."

"They were trying to get Al to make a Philosopher's Stone from human lives," Ed said quietly. "Did you know about that?"

"It won't work," the homunculus whispered with grim conviction. "We can't change what we are or where we came from…none of us. The best we can do is pretend, but the other homunculi don't even want to do that. Even if they succeeded someday, I doubt any of them will try to live like humans. Envy always yelled at me when I told them that."

"Envy's not known for his tact," Ed said with a wry smile. This earned a small smile from the homunculus and Ed had to fight back the urge to reach out to him, reminding himself sternly that this was _not_ Al, not even a human child needing comfort. Still, the boy's words struck something deep inside him. Al had been right. He wanted a life and a brother, something that was impossible for a homunculus to have.

But having a clearer understanding of his actions only made Ed feel all the worse. Now, more than anything, Ed wanted to help him, but he was hesitant to do anything that might endanger himself and Al. Letting a homunculus walk free would qualify as endangerment.

Ed stood and started for the stairs. He needed to talk to Al about this. Just as he reached the foot of the stairs, the imposter spoke.

"Can I ask you something?"

Ed turned back, but the homunculus wouldn't look at him.

"Can you…I mean, could you…find someone for me?" the boy mumbled.

"Find who?" Ed asked.

The homunculus met Ed's eyes for a brief moment then looked away as if the sight were painful.

"There was someone," the homunculus said softly. "He was there when I was…the night I was made. Before Envy found me, I saw him watching me. I don't remember what he looked like, but he…"

His breathing hitched suddenly as if he were fighting back a sob.

"…he…he called me 'little brother'…"

Ed's heart leapt to his throat and breathing became difficult. "Are…are you sure?"

"I don't know if…" the homunculus faltered, but went on, "…I think he was hurt. He was bleeding. Please, just…find him for me. I want to know why he smiled when he looked at me."

Ed nodded, not trusting himself to speak, and traipsed up the stairs in a daze.

_He was there the night I was made…he called me 'little brother'…_

There was no other explanation. It had to be the alchemist that performed the human transmutation. Who else could it have possibly been? Somewhere, somehow, an alchemist had tried to bring back his little brother from the dead and failed, thus bringing this homunculus into existence.

_He was bleeding…_

Ed cringed as he thought of those words. Of course, the Gate would have exacted its toll on the alchemist for trying to resurrect the dead. Just as Ed had lost his arm and leg and Al had lost his body, that alchemist had lost something. He may have even paid with his life, like other alchemists before him who were arrogant enough to play God with human life.

_Find him for me…_

_Easier said than done, _Ed thought. If they hadn't heard of this alchemist and his failed human transmutation by now, then there was very little chance of finding him. But maybe Hughes could dig something up. He was good at that kind of thing, and he could even ask Mustang to look into it so long as Ed didn't let on that he was trying to help the homunculus…

Ed reached the top of the stairs and locked up the basement before heading to the kitchen where he was surprised to find Winry stirring scrambled eggs by herself.

"Where's Al?" Ed asked.

Winry jumped and spun around. "Ed! You scared me! I thought you were outside with Al."

"Outside?" Ed repeated. "I was talking to the homunculus in the basement."

Winry cocked an eyebrow. "Are you trying to be funny? You were just here a few minutes ago! You said you needed to talk to Al and you both went outside."

"Winry, I think you need some fresh air or…something…" Ed fell silent as alarm bells went off in his head.

_Envy can change his form!_

"How long ago did Al leave?" Ed asked sharply.

"I told you, just a few minutes ago," Winry said impatiently. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Stay here!" Ed ordered.

Ed shot for the backdoor and burst through. He circled the house, scanning the fields all around the Rockbell home, but there was no one nearby. Ed's terror jumped up a notch and it was only through sheer force of will that he kept himself from going into an all-out panic attack. Envy couldn't have taken Al too far. And besides, where was there to go in Risembool?

The answer was nowhere. Unless their goal wasn't anywhere in Risembool.

_The train station._

Ed took off down the road at a dead run. Deep inside, he hoped he was wrong. He hoped he was just being paranoid and overprotective. He desperately hoped that Winry really _did_ need some fresh air.

He knew he wasn't that lucky.

* * *

_Why am I even doing this?_

He couldn't help but wonder that as he silently led his unsuspecting victim down the dirt road away from the Rockbell home. His instructions from Envy were clear--lead Alphonse Elric to the train station without arousing suspicion. And it proved to be laughably easy since it only took a few words to get the armored kid to follow him, no questions asked. Though that could mostly be explained by Wrath's work…

The road circled around a stand of trees and past a small pond. He glanced at the still water as they passed and allowed himself an ironic smile at his reflection--blonde, braided hair, gold eyes, a determined face. But it wasn't his face. It was the face of some guy named Edward Elric, Al's older brother. In truth, he was fascinated by Al's blind faith in him just because of his appearance. Either humans really were that stupid or Al and his real brother were far closer than he could understand.

_Little brother…_

He shoved the words to the back of his mind, trying and failing to convince himself that they didn't mean a thing to him. He didn't remember much of his old life as a human save for his name. Shawn. Such a plain name, probably with a plain human life to match. Things were so much better now that he was a homunculus. No family to worry about, no friends or loved ones to take care of, no responsibilities to uphold or purpose to fulfill--in short, unbridled freedom!

So logically, he should have no reason to feel guilty over taking advantage of this kid's trust. Logically.

_Little brother…_

Still, doubts circled round and round in his mind like a cloud of insects. Things had been so much easier yesterday when he was too weak and deformed to do anything for himself. But now, Shawn was strong enough to make his own decisions, wasn't he? If this plan was bothering him, why was he going along with it? It certainly wasn't out of any loyalty to the others. They had all but ignored his existence until he became useful.

Maybe it was the remnants of memories from his past life that were making him uncomfortable. But his life as a human was over! He should be _beyond_ caring about other human beings! His new life had only begun yesterday and Shawn would enjoy every minute of it. It wasn't like he had anything else to do…

_Little brother…_

"Brother?"

_DON'T CALL ME THAT!_

"Brother, where are we going?"

Shawn looked over his shoulder to check that Al was still following him before answering. "It's just a little farther. There's something I need to show you."

"What is it?" Al asked.

"You'll see," Shawn answered vaguely. How long would it take before Al began to suspect that something was wrong? Should he make something up to ensure the kid kept following him?

No, that wouldn't be necessary. The train station was just ahead and luckily the train that he, Envy and Lust arrived on hadn't left yet. Wrath and Gluttony had remained in Central to gather sacrifices for the Philosopher's Stone. It rankled Shawn that Envy hadn't seen fit to inform him of exactly _how_ they would get Al back to Central against his will, but there wasn't much he could do about it. He probably needed to prove himself first before they allowed him to take a greater role in their plans.

They arrived on the station's empty platform and Al stopped suddenly, staring at the train.

"Are we leaving?" Al asked in astonishment. "We haven't even said good-bye to Winry! And all your stuff is still back at the house…"

"We're not leaving," Shawn assured Al quickly. "I told you, I need to show you something."

"There's no one here," Al said slowly, "and we've been to this station a dozen times. What could you possibly have to show me?"

"Just wait a little while," Shawn retorted impatiently. This was bad. Al was starting to question him and Envy and Lust had yet to make their appearance. They hadn't given Shawn any instructions beyond getting Al to the train station.

Al took an uncertain step away from him. "Brother…why aren't you telling me anything? This isn't like you."

And now he was almost officially screwed, but before he could think of anything else to say, Envy's obnoxious voice made itself known. "Aw, are you boys having an argument?"

Al whirled around just as Envy emerged from within the station and blocked off his escape from the platform. Relieved, Shawn started forward…

…only to be blocked by Lust. He raised an eyebrow at Lust in silent inquiry, but she only smiled mockingly.

"How did you get here?" Al demanded.

"The train, obviously," Envy snorted. "Now take my advice and don't fight back…unless you want your brother to die."

Confused, Shawn scanned the platform. What was Envy talking about? There was no one here except Al, himself, Envy and Lust. The elder Elric brother was nowhere in sight.

He didn't have to wonder for long because at that moment Lust swiped her hand at his chest, leaving five deep gashes. Shawn fell backward with a wild cry, clutching the bloody wounds. Before he could get up, her black nails extended like spears and pierced his shoulders and wrists, pinning him on his back. He grunted in pain as the nails twisted in the wounds, opening them further until they bled freely.

"Stop!" Al screamed. "Stop it,_ stop hurting him!_"

One of Lust's nails swept up to rest against Shawn's neck and she watched him with an amused expression. Shawn twisted his head around to try and see why the hell Envy was allowing this, but from his position he couldn't see him or Al.

"I'd drop that chalk if I were you," Envy said gleefully. "Lust has excellent control over her abilities, but if you don't listen to us then her fingers just might _slip_…"

Shawn flinched when Lust made a tiny cut in his neck and a few seconds later he heard something small hit the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a piece of blue chalk rolling off the platform onto the train tracks.

And finally everything fell into place. The other homunculi needed Al's cooperation. Wrath had made him look exactly like Al's older brother, the only difference being that he couldn't use alchemy. And thanks to Al's trust and his own stupidity, _he_ would be the collateral they needed to bend Al to their will.

_Bastards!_ Shawn thought furiously. They lied to him, they _used_ him! Envy had said he was necessary, but he never imagined they would pull something like this! And the fact that they hadn't bothered to tell him spelled out exactly how worthless he was to them. He wasn't their ally…to them, was nothing but a tool, a means to get what they wanted.

Just like Al.

_Little brother…_

A whistle sounded, warning the group that the train would soon be leaving the Risembool station. Lust's nails pulled free of Shawn's wounds and she yanked him up by a handful of hair, twisting one arm painfully behind his back. Shawn struggled violently, but couldn't pull free.

"Bitch!" Shawn hissed at her angrily. "You planned this out! You--!"

He was cut off when Lust hauled him toward the train, further away from Al and Envy. Shawn heard Al protesting, but Envy cut him off.

"Look, trashcan," Envy snapped, "if you value your brother's life, then get on the train with us. The more you fight back, the more he gets cut up, so unless you want him to bleed to death before we reach Central…"

"I won't fight!" Al cried. "Just don't hurt him anymore!"

_You idiot!_ Shawn thought as Lust shoved him onto the train. _You freaking idiot! I'm not your brother!_

"That's exactly what I want to hear," Envy said. "Now get on the train!"


	8. Hostage

Chapter Eight - Hostage

Ed sprinted all the way to the train station, never once allowing himself to slow down. The whole way there he was reminded of his frantic run through the apartment complex. Was that only three days ago? Never mind, it wasn't important.

The train station came in sight and a whistle sounded as the train slowly began pulling away from the empty station. As he climbed the steps to the platform, Ed spied two things--small puddles of blood staining the wood and a piece of chalk on the tracks.

Ed jumped down onto the tracks, swiping up the chalk in the process, and chased after the moving train. He reached out for the railing on the last car, but it remained more than two feet out of his reach and to his dismay began drawing further away as the train picked up speed. Al was on that train with the homunculi, Ed was sure of it! He couldn't let them get away!

When the train was more than ten feet away Ed skidded to a halt, clapped his hands and pressed them to the tracks. A deafening screech grated on his ears as the tracks molded themselves to the train wheels, stopping the train in its place.

Now that he had announced his presence so spectacularly, there was no reason to be subtle. Ed vaulted over the rail onto the last car and brutally kicked in the door with his automail foot. He marched into the car only to find it empty. No matter. He'd search every car on this damn train until he found his little brother.

* * *

The entire train shuddered and stopped so suddenly that the four occupants in the third to last car were flung to the floor.

"What happened?" Al asked no one in particular.

"Shit," Envy hissed through gritted teeth. "Lust, get them both secured. I'll deal with it."

Envy rushed to the back door of the car and vanished. Al scrambled up quickly, hoping he and Ed could make a break for it, but Lust was already on her feet. One of her hands was wrapped around Ed's neck, razor-sharp nails pressing into his skin. Ed's eyes blazed in fury.

"Follow me," Lust said curtly. She dragged Ed toward the front of the car and Al followed obediently. He didn't know what else to do. Resisting now would only get his brother hurt even more.

At the front of the car, Lust shoved Ed down in a seat and nodded at a pile of rope. "Tie him up."

Al hesitated. Lust gripped Ed's hair and jerked his head back, exposing his neck. "Don't make me tell you again," she said in a deadly tone.

Left with no choice, Al picked up the rope and knelt down in front of Ed. He looked up at his brother, hoping for some kind of cocky reassurance, but Ed wouldn't look at him. Al's spirits plummeted at the thought that maybe Ed was angry with him for giving in to Lust's demands so easily.

"Hurry up," Lust said impatiently. "Tie his hands."

Reluctantly, Al wrapped the first rope around Ed's left wrist. He left it loose at first, but at Lust's warning glare he tightened it, hoping he wasn't cutting off circulation.

Moving on to Ed's right hand, he repeated the process and was about to draw away when something caught his eye. There was blood staining Ed's white glove, trickling out from under the sleeve. Al remembered one of Lust's claws piercing that arm, but automail didn't _bleed_…

Under the pretense of tightening the rope, Al slipped a finger under the edge of Ed's sleeve and pulled it back a bit.

The automail was _gone!_

Al stared dumbly at the flesh and blood hand for a long moment then slowly looked up into Ed's eyes. This time Ed locked gazes with him, but his expression was cold, empty of any recognition or concern. And it occurred to Al that, in this situation, the Ed he knew wouldn't be so subdued. In fact, Ed would probably be cursing Lust vehemently in an attempt to keep her attention on him instead of Al. It wasn't something Al asked for…it was just something Ed would _do_.

Ed's eyes flicked downward then back up. Al let his gaze follow the path that look had indicated and that's when he saw it. Between one of the rips in Ed's shirt, clearly inked into the skin of his right shoulder, was an Ouroboros.

Seeing that Al was done, Lust eased up her grip. "Very good. Now sit in one of the chairs across the aisle. I'll be watching to make sure you don't try anything foolish."

Slowly, ever so slowly, Al stood up and faced Lust. Ed--no, the _imposter_--watched them both warily.

"Tell me," Al asked quietly, "what good is a hostage if he's someone I don't even know?"

* * *

Ed entered the second to last car, but it, too, was empty. The homunculi must have taken Al further toward the front. Ed hoped that the conductor and anyone else on board had the sense to evacuate or at the very least stay out of the way. If it came to a fight with the homunculi, he didn't want anyone else getting hurt.

Halfway up the center aisle, Ed peeked out the window and saw that the train remained firmly attached to the tracks. Did that mean Wrath wasn't here to transmute the tracks back to normal? Or were they all lying in wait to ambush him before they set off?

Ed started to move on when he heard it. Footsteps on top of the train! He listened carefully as the steps moved closer and closer until they were right above him where they stopped. Ed held his breath. Should he climb up there and see who it was? What if that was exactly what the homunculi wanted?

Driven by instinct, Ed transmuted a blade onto his automail arm and proceeded toward the door, planning to scale the ladder outside. Before he could reach the door, a shadow blocked one of the windows on his right and Envy swung through lithely and kicked him in the head. Ed stumbled back and fell into one of the seats. Envy dove forward and Ed rolled aside just in time to avoid a punch that splintered the wooden bench he was just on. Jumping to his feet, Ed swung his automail blade wildly, but Envy dodged easily and leapt back up to the open window, balancing on the window sill.

"Where's Al?!" Ed roared.

"Come on up here if you want answers!" Envy taunted, jabbing a thumb at the roof. "Unlike you, _some_ of us actually need room to move around when we fight."

With that, Envy swung back up to the roof and out of sight. Ed stared after him looking positively livid.

"Need…room…?" Ed spluttered. "Need _room?! I'll give you some freaking room!_"

Ed clapped and pressed his hands to the wall. The train car lit up with the glow of alchemy and the roof opened outward like a flower, spreading out until the walls, ceiling and seats all flattened out to become part of a new floor. What had once been a train car became one huge platform balancing precariously on the train car's original wheels, which Ed had neglected to change.

At the sound of a curse behind him, Ed turned and crouched into a battle-ready stance. Envy clambered ungracefully onto the platform, having clung on for dear life while the train car was transmuted. Ed charged forward and unleashed a series of furious punches and kicks, most of which Envy managed to block without even breaking a sweat. Envy leapt into the air and roundhouse kicked him right in the temple. Ed staggered back in a daze and only barely avoided another blow to the head.

"Want to know how this is going to end, shrimp?" Envy cackled.

"With me breaking your face!" Ed retorted.

"Wrong!"

Envy's leg swept out and knocked Ed's legs from underneath him. Envy brought one foot down hard on Ed's automail blade, snapping it off, and pressed the heel of his other foot against Ed's windpipe. Ed struggled wildly, but he couldn't move and soon found himself growing dizzy with lack of oxygen.

"First," Envy announced, "you're going to get this train up and running again. And you're going to do it _fast_ otherwise I might get the urge to dismantle that scrap heap you call a brother."

"Bastard!" Ed choked. Envy reached down and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up until they were face to face.

"Second," Envy breathed, "we'll all head back to Central together. And me and the rest of us homunculi will take it in turns to torture you in front of little Alphonse. We'll beat you, cut you, hurt you until his fragile mind can't take it and he decides to make us a Philosopher's Stone. And we'll let him believe that you'll be spared if he does…then I'll tear your scrawny body in half right after we get the Stone!"

"Leave him out of it!" Ed shouted.

Envy smirked broadly and put even more pressure on Ed's throat. "And why would I do that?"

Ed didn't argue. How could he when he was dangling a foot in the air by his neck and seconds away from passing out? All he could think of was Al being held somewhere on the train. If he was too weak to even fight off Envy, then how could he hope to save his little brother?

Swallowing his fears and doubts, Ed decided it was time to offer up his last bargaining chip.

"Let Al go," Ed whispered, "and I'll make the Stone for you."

* * *

Al reached over and pulled back the collar of Shawn's shirt, exposing the Ouroboros. Lust's expression turned sour. Shawn remained utterly still and silent. The ruse was over. What would happen now?

Suddenly, Lust raised one hand in Al's direction and her nails shot straight toward him. They tore through his armor and Al was lifted off his feet and slammed into the wall of the train car. Lust's nails embedded themselves in the wall, fixing him in place like a bug in a collection.

With her other hand, Lust swiped at the ropes holding Shawn in place, freeing him.

"You're quite observant," Lust commended Al. "I must say, you saw through the deception faster than your brother did. He needed _you_ to come all the way to Risembool to inform him that there was an imposter in his presence. What _have_ you done with the child, anyway?"

"Why should I tell you?" Al challenged her. "You'll just make him hurt other people again for your own gain!"

"Is that compassion I detect?" Lust inquired. "How sweet…and yet how pointless. He chose to take your place of his own free will."

Al seemed about to respond when the back door of the train car flew open. Shawn glanced back and saw his mirror image for the first time as Envy dragged a very bruised Ed up the aisle.

"Brother!" Al shouted. He struggled to pull himself free of the claws holding him, but he couldn't move at all. "_Brother!_"

Ed's head snapped up at Al's voice and when he caught sight of Shawn his eyes widened in shock. Before he could make any kind of reaction, Envy threw him to the floor, holding one of his arms tightly so he couldn't do alchemy.

"We've got a dilemma," Envy said curtly. "The shrimp wants a bargain. He says he'll make the Stone if the tin can goes free."

"_What?!_" Al cried out in shock. "Brother, you can't! I won't leave you here!"

"_Shut up,_" Shawn hissed, pressing his hands to his ears. He leaned forward in his seat, gripping his head so tightly that he felt a few blonde hairs part from his scalp. But the rush of memories Al's voice called up didn't stop, plaguing him with images and sounds he had all but forgotten.

_Shawn? Why are you crying?_

_I didn't want to tell you…I didn't want to worry you…_

"…beyond bargaining! Envy, get him to fix the tracks and we'll take them both to Central!"

"I'm not doing anything until you let Al go!"

"_Michael…_" Shawn whispered.

_You're sick, little brother…the doctor said it's some kind of rare disease…_

_Shawn…am I going to die?_

_As long as I take care of you, you'll be ok…_

_You're lying, I can tell! I'm going to die!_

_You won't! But I'll make you a promise…if you die, I'll find a way to bring you back…I read about it in an alchemy book once…it mentioned something called 'human transmutation'…_

In one swift motion, Lust knocked off Al's helmet and pressed one of her claws on a small, red array within the armor.

"Don't!" Ed begged. "Don't, please! Just let him go!"

_Little brother…_

Shawn stood up abruptly, earning the unexpected attention of everyone in the car. And without warning he began laughing hysterically. He couldn't help it. It was just so…fitting? That as his reward for breaking the taboo, he had been helping the very ones who took Michael away.

"What the hell are you laughing at?" Envy demanded with a trace of uneasiness.

Gradually, Shawn brought his laughter under control and took a good look at the other four. The Elric brothers watched him with wary expressions, but Lust and Envy merely looked annoyed. That bothered Shawn. Hadn't they yet realized that he wasn't on their side anymore?

"You know," Shawn murmured, "separating brothers is a _very_ bad idea…"

* * *

"It's official, he's insane," Envy grumbled.

For once, Ed was inclined to agree with Envy. The new homunculus, the one who looked exactly like him, was acting stranger by the minute. Ed found it a bit disturbing to watch himself cracking up over absolutely nothing. What kind of person burst into fits of laughter in the middle of a life-or-death situation like this? His only consolation was that both Envy and Lust were as confused as he was.

"Insane?" the other Edward said slowly. "Maybe you're right…after what I went through, I wouldn't be surprised one bit if that were the case…"

The other Edward's smile slipped and he got a very menacing look on his face. "But even so…you had no right to take him!"

Before anyone realized what he was doing, the Ed-look-a-like launched himself at Envy and tackled him. Free from Envy's hold, Ed crawled away from the two struggling forms, trying to stay discreet so Lust wouldn't have an excuse to hurt Al. The other Edward managed to pin Envy on his back and stared at him with a look that was not quite sane.

"So what'd you do with him?" the other Edward growled. "You must have had a reason for taking him!"

"Who the hell are you talking about?" Envy snapped.

"_My little brother!_"

Ed froze at those words, but quickly shook it off. He had to focus on taking advantage of this strange turn of events. Ed slipped behind one of the train seats. From there, he was out of sight of everyone except Al, who was tall enough to see him. Lust had her attention fixed on Envy and the Ed-look-a-like.

Cautiously, Ed took the blue chalk from his pocket and held it up for Al to see. Then he laid it on the ground and gave it a little push. The chalk rolled under three seats and bumped against Al's foot. Understanding the intent, Al kept his eyes on Ed and waited for a signal.

Envy bent both of his legs and brutally kicked the other Edward in the stomach, sending him across the car. The Ed-look-a-like regained his feet quickly and began stalking up the center aisle toward Envy.

"I remember it all now," the other Edward whispered. "I saw you take him after I brought him back. Tell me where he is!"

"Are you talking about the brat I found the other day?" Envy snorted. "I don't have a clue where he is--"

"Don't lie to me!"

Ed clapped and transmuted one of the benches between him and Lust into a spear. Snatching it up, he stood and hurled it at Lust. Unprepared for the assault, Lust couldn't dodge in time and the spear went straight through her head. As she collapsed, her black nails went limp. Al yanked them free of his armor and picked up the chalk.

Ed spun in Envy's direction, expecting an assault, but the other Edward was way ahead of him. He already had Envy pinned on his back. Envy thrashed around violently, but couldn't throw him off.

"You're supposed to be on our side, damn it!" Envy bellowed.

The Ed-look-a-like cast him a sinister grin. "You're side? If you really wanted me on your side, you shouldn't have taken Michael. You should have treated me like an equal. And because you didn't, you're going to learn the hard way not to mess with me! You never did bother to find out what _my_ ability is…"

The other Edward slammed a palm onto Envy's chest. Red lightning spiked up from beneath his hand and Envy began screaming in agony. Within seconds, Red Stones began forming beneath the other Edward's hand and Ed realized in horror that he was converting Envy's energy, his very _life_ into Red Stones.

Envy's scream went on and on as the Ed-look-a-like drained more and more energy from him. Red Stones continued to form from the red energy, cascading down to make neat little piles on the floor. Envy's complexion faded to a sickly gray and his skin seemed to cave in on itself. The other Edward never once stopped grinning.

Ed backed up as far as he could, at once amazed and petrified by the sight. He couldn't decide whether it was safe to interfere or not. If he did, could that power be turned on himself or on Al?

He didn't have to wonder for long, because Lust chose at that moment to come back to life. Still bleeding from her head wound, she lunged forward and knocked the Ed-look-a-like out cold. He slid to the ground, unconscious and the red light vanished as if someone had hit a light switch. Lust scooped up Envy in one smooth motion, tossing the groaning homunculus over her shoulder, and cast the other Edward a dark look.

"Looks like you weren't very useful after all," Lust murmured. With that, she turned on her heel and left the train.

Ed and Al stayed absolutely still for a few minutes, but the only sounds came from a murmur of voices outside, presumably the other passengers coming to see what all the noise was about. Once Ed was sure Lust wouldn't return, he cautiously knelt beside his mirror image.

"Wh-what was that, Brother?" Al stammered fearfully. "How did he _do_ that?"

"I don't know," Ed said, equally disturbed by what they had just witnessed. He had never seen a homunculus with such a dangerous ability. Questions continued to race through his mind. Where had this one come from? What had he meant when he said Envy took his little brother? Homunculi didn't have siblings…

_I just wanted a brother!_

_You had no right to take him!_

Could it be…?

"Should we help him?" Al asked uncertainly.

Ed studied the homunculus indecisively. After a moment, he nodded. "He saved us. It's only Equivalent Exchange."


	9. Origins

Chapter Nine - Origins

_The array was from an old alchemy book the library had thrown out. A book about forbidden alchemy, human transmutation, homunculi. And Shawn had stolen it because that was exactly what he needed. Alchemy wasn't something he practiced on a regular basis, but he knew the theories. He knew the risks. At least, he thought he did._

_Shawn carefully laid the emaciated body in the center of the array, avoiding looking into the face of his dead brother as much as possible. Michael had been ill for months, suffered so much pain before he died. Shawn had to make it right. He had to bring his little brother back. _

_He placed his hands on the circle…_

_Light. Pain. Darkness._

_At first, he thought he failed. The thing lying in the array after the transmutation ended didn't look much like Michael. But really, Shawn was missing a lung, two kidneys and half his intestines after his meeting with the Gate so it was no wonder his vision was a bit fuzzy. _

_Then the creature moved. It breathed, it raised its head and looked right at him. And Shawn smiled. _

_"Little…brother…" Shawn choked. A wave of pain made him shut his eyes tightly and curl up into a ball. Maybe he would just stay here and sleep for awhile. Michael would still be there when he woke up._

_That was what he thought. Until someone with long green hair walked in and took Michael away. Shawn wanted to stop him, he really did, but in the next moment he died. He actually felt his heart stop in his chest, felt his body grow stiffer, colder, watched his vision grow dark for the last time…_

…_he wasn't sure how much time passed before he came back to awareness. He was still beside the array, but there was another body beside his, disfigured and mutilated beyond all recognition. And in that moment, Shawn knew only three things:_

_He was a homunculus. _

_The body next to him was all that remained of whoever made him a homunculus._

_And Michael was gone._

_

* * *

_

The--dream?memory?--faded slowly as Shawn returned to consciousness. He could hear voices nearby, but they seemed to be coming from across a great distance. One voice caught his attention, a child's voice no older than ten.

"Michael?" Shawn slurred, forcing his eyes open. A quick glance around revealed that he was back in the Rockbell house, lying on a couch in the living room. How had he gotten here?

"Are you feeling better?"

Shawn snapped his gaze around and came face to face with Al. Ed stood off to the side, watching Shawn with a mistrustful look only slightly softened by concern. Shawn supposed that was the best he could expect after his demonstration on the train. He was amazed the Elric brothers had gone this far to help him, considering recent events.

"So where did _you_ come from?" Ed asked.

Shawn thought on that one for a good minute, searching his shattered memory. "I don't really remember," he said eventually. "I'm still piecing it together myself."

"Who's Michael?" Al asked curiously.

Shawn grimaced and turned away so they wouldn't see his expression. The last thing he wanted to do was share anything about himself. But the emotions, the memories were so raw, so piercing. He felt like he would splinter into a million pieces if he didn't let them out.

"He was my little brother," Shawn said reluctantly. "At least he was when I was still human. But he got sick…passed away…"

"I'm sorry," Al said softly.

Shawn smirked at the purely human sentiment and sat up so he could see them more clearly. "Don't bother feeling sorry for me. I only made things worse. I tried to bring him back to life."

"With alchemy?!" Ed exclaimed, appalled. "You broke the taboo?"

"Tried to," Shawn corrected him contemptuously. "All I managed to do was get myself killed."

"But…then how did _you_ become a homunculus?" Al asked in confusion.

"How am I supposed to know?" Shawn retorted. "All I remember is watching Envy take my brother away…or rather, what was left of him after the transmutation…"

Shawn saw a shadowed look cross Ed's face.

"Then your brother," Ed said slowly, "he's a homunculus too?"

"I don't know," Shawn answered. "Probably. Why else would Envy have taken him unless he could be useful to them?"

Ed and Al shared a look then, one that Shawn couldn't read. Ed motioned for Al to follow him and they moved around the corner into the hallway. Shawn could barely hear them having a quiet discussion. It only took him a few minutes to get bored and a few more to decide that there was no point in staying here. He got up and started for the door, grasping the handle just as Ed and Al returned.

"Where are you going?" Ed asked in surprise.

"To find Michael," Shawn answered without thinking. He shook his head irritably and opened the door. "I don't know," he amended. "I just need to leave. I don't have any reason to stay here."

Al pressed a hand to the door and snapped it shut. "What if we gave you a reason?"

* * *

The door at the top of the stairs creaked open slowly, filling the basement with rays of light. Alphonse listened as a pair of heavy footsteps made their gradual way down. What now? Was it Ed coming to ask more questions? Was it the real Al coming to punish him? Alphonse didn't care anymore. In the past few hours, his self-worth had fallen farther than he thought possible. He wouldn't have minded if they let him rot down here for the rest of eternity.

The footsteps halted at the bottom of the stairs and Alphonse raised his head. It was Ed, but…there was something different about him. He was staring at Alphonse with a fragile, yet daringly hopeful look. It made Alphonse want to jump up and hug him and only the shackles on his chair kept him from doing just that.

"Ed?" Alphonse asked tentatively.

A tiny smile tugged at Ed's mouth, but it was different from the ones Alphonse had seen. Amusement with a trace of cynicism. It was different and yet…Alphonse realized it was familiar at the same time. He had seen that smile before on someone else, someone he knew.

"Sorry, kid. My name is Shawn."

"Shawn?" Alphonse repeated, testing the name on his tongue. That name, too, held a certain nostalgia.

"Yeah," Shawn replied, watching Alphonse with that same hopeful look. "What's your name?"

Alphonse opened his mouth and froze. He had almost called himself 'Alphonse'. But that wasn't his name anymore, was it? Did it still count as his name even if it was stolen from someone else? But it was the only name he remembered, he didn't want to give it up!

"Forget it," Shawn said hastily. "You probably don't remember anyway."

Seeing the shackles on Alphonse's chair, Shawn approached him and easily tore the shackles off. Alphonse rubbed his wrists self-consciously, staring up at Shawn with wide eyes.

"Did you ever have a brother?" Shawn murmured.

Alphonse flinched as the pain of losing Ed came back full force. He dropped his gaze and curled in on himself, wishing this familiar stranger would stop asking such painful questions and leave him alone.

Shawn sighed and knelt down, forcing Alphonse to meet his gaze. "You had one, right? But you lost him?"

"It's _his_ fault," Alphonse whispered. "Envy said Al wouldn't ever come back. He _said_ Ed would be my brother!"

"But it didn't turn out the way you hoped," Shawn concluded. "Take it from me, kid. Envy never keeps his promises."

Alphonse rubbed his eyes in an unconscious effort to banish the tears he couldn't seem to shed. "Y-you know him?"

In response, Shawn pulled back his shirt collar and showed him the Ouroboros. Alphonse reached out on impulse and ran his fingers over the blood-red image.

"You're…you're just like me!" Alphonse squeaked.

Shawn gripped his shoulders suddenly and started speaking rapidly, almost breathlessly. "Let me ask you something. I know it probably wasn't what you were hoping for, but…do you think I could be your brother? I don't have anyone else, any other family. I've got nothing except a jumble of memories and a bucket-load of enemies, but…I feel like…like I need something else in my life. Someone to look after. I want that to be you."

Alphonse found himself reeling back in shock. "M-me? Be your brother?"

"Please," Shawn breathed. "Please Michael…"

_Michael…Michael..._

And in that moment, Alphonse felt everything come together in his mind. Shifting, fuzzy images that he had always ignored as his imagination took on meaning. They were _memories!_ Memories of being human, of being sick, of being taken care of by an older brother. It was like being allowed to read the rest of a book after so long of only knowing the contents of last chapter. At last, he understood _why_ he had wanted to stay with Ed so badly! He was trying to emulate his past life, searching for something to replace what he lost when he died.

He wasn't Alphonse…he was_ Michael! _

And that meant…

Michael examined the face before him. It was Ed's face, a face that he had grown so familiar with in the past few days. But behind those eyes was someone he had known for far longer.

"_Shawn!_" Michael sobbed, flinging his arms around his brother's shoulders. Shawn wrapped his arms around Michael and held him close, exactly like Ed once did.

"I thought I was going to be alone forever," Michael mumbled into Shawn's shoulder. He looked up in sudden desperation. "You won't leave me, right?! You won't abandon me?"

And Shawn graced him with another smile, one far more joyful than the last. "Not ever, little brother."

* * *

"_What the hell do you mean 'the homunculus escaped'?!_"

Ed rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, though he knew Roy couldn't possibly see it through the phone. "Just what I said, Colonel. He's gone! Vanished right out of the basement. Looks like you won't have to deal with taking him into custody after all!"

"_Damn it!_" Roy exclaimed. "_Now we've got to worry about some kid homunculus wandering around who looks like Al._"

"I don't think there's anything to worry about," Ed assured him. "I don't think he's coming back."

"_Edward,_" Roy said slowly, suspicion coloring his voice, "_you didn't happen to let him out yourself, did you?_"

"Now why would I do that?" Ed asked in exaggerated outrage. "He nearly got Al killed! I would never let that brat walk free!"

"_Ok, fine,_" Roy muttered after a very long, very skeptical silence. "_By the way, I thought I should tell you that we may have found where he came from._"

Ed's stomach plummeted. "Where?"

"_Today, someone in Central reported that they found the remains of a body,_" Roy said gravely. "_The body was identified as a woman named Lisa and she was discovered lying next to a transmutation circle. It was pretty clear she died attempting human transmutation. She didn't have any family, but she did have a boyfriend named Shawn. He's missing along with his brother, Michael. One of them is probably the homunculus who impersonated Al._"

"Yeah, probably," Ed said absently. This Lisa must have been the one who tried to resurrect Shawn. Had she found the body of her boyfriend, covered in blood from his own failed transmutation, and resorted to alchemy in blind desperation?

The phone in Ed's hand creaked ominously and he switched hands when he realized that his automail hand's grip was so tight he was about to snap the phone in half. He took a deep breath to cool down his anger, reminding himself that he of all people didn't have the right to judge her actions, or Shawn's. Both of them had displayed the same weakness and stupidity that he himself was guilty of.

And, as bad as their situation was, Ed was only now beginning to fathom how lucky he and Al really were. Ed could only imagine what would have happened if, in his panic after losing Al, he had resorted to a full human transmutation instead of simply binding Al's soul to the armor. Al could have ended up as a homunculus with his soul trapped within the Gate or worse.

"Humanity never learns its lesson, does it?" Ed muttered bitterly.

Roy said nothing at first, but eventually asked, "_You're on your way to Central, right?_"

"We're halfway there," Ed replied, grateful for the subject change. "Al and I just got off the train for a real lunch in one of the towns. We'll be in Central in a couple of hours."

"_Good,_" Roy said, sounding genuinely pleased. "_I've got a mission here with your name on it. There are rumors of an alchemist manufacturing Philosopher's Stones and handing them out to the residents of several towns._"

"Sounds like a scam to me," Ed said, rolling his eyes. "Can't you give me something more substantial?"

"_How about the fact that the Stones can do minor transmutations without the help of an alchemist?_" Roy suggested. "_The kids who get Stones are getting a kick out of transmuting beetles into butterflies._"

"That…almost sounds interesting," Ed admitted grudgingly, "but I still don't buy it."

"_You'll just have to find out for yourself,_" Roy said amiably. "_Let's hope those kids don't try to make you any shorter. We'd never find you then._"

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT NOT EVEN A FREAK TRANSMUTATION CAN MAKE HIM ANY SMALLER?!" Ed screeched.

Ed heard a chuckle from his superior and the line went dead. He slammed the payphone down and fumed for a good five minutes until Al came and found him.

"Brother, did the colonel call you short again?" Al asked in exasperation.

"He'll pay," Ed hissed. "Believe me, he'll pay…"

"Shawn and Michael are leaving soon," Al reminded him. "Their train is pulling in."

Reluctantly, Ed stepped away from the phone. The town they stopped in was a busy one and the sunny train station was filled with people. Although they had indeed stopped for lunch like Ed told Roy, they had also stopped because this would be where they parted ways with the homunculus brothers.

It only took a few minutes to find Shawn and Michael. Michael was keeping himself entertained by drawing on the floor with a piece of chalk Al had given him. Shawn stood nearby, keeping a watchful eye on him. Although Michael still looked like Al's ten-year-old self, Shawn had sheared his hair short, far shorter than Ed would ever consider cutting his. There was still a resemblance between them, but it was only noticeable when they were right next to each other and Ed was gratified that no one would ever mistake Shawn for the Fullmetal Alchemist.

"Michael," Shawn said, giving Michael's drawings with a mystified look, "that looks nothing like a dog…"

"You're not using your imagination!" Michael insisted. Michael's disposition had changed a great deal since the day Shawn carried him out of the Rockbell's basement. He was much more open and seemed to be happy every minute of the day. He and Al had practically become best friends, despite their differences.

Seeing that there was a little time before the train would leave, Al sat down next to Michael and started drawing with him. Ed took that opportunity to beckon for Shawn to follow him. Shawn came with a guarded look, but Ed only moved out of hearing distance of the younger brothers.

"So what are you planning on doing now?" Ed asked.

Shawn shrugged. "No clue. We'll probably just pick up where we left off. Michael wants to live like a normal kid and I'm ok with that."

"What about the Stones?" Ed asked bluntly. "You two survive on Red Stones, but I don't feel right letting you go if you're just going to start killing people like the other homunculi."

"You don't have to worry about that," Shawn said with an easy smile. "The Stones I created from Envy should last us awhile."

"And once they run out?" Ed persisted. "Then what?"

Shawn cast him a sinister grin and Ed felt an involuntary chill at the nape of his neck.

"You really want to know?" Shawn said softly.

"Do I?" Ed asked cautiously.

The eerie aura vanished and Shawn's smile became casual. He clapped a friendly hand on Ed's shoulder. "Of course you do! Alchemists need to know everything!"

Ed laughed shakily. "Yeah, I guess we d--"

A roaring sound filled Ed's ears and he suddenly found himself paralyzed. Shawn's fingers dug deep into his shoulder and Ed felt a horrible _draining_ sensation. He tried to move, to scream, to do _something_, but he was helpless. Shawn watched him with fierce concentration, but his eyes were flashing a dangerous red. Panic closed in on Ed as his vision began to darken, his knees growing weak. For a few agonizing seconds, he really believed he was going to die.

Shawn released him and Ed sank to the ground on the verge of passing out. Above him, he saw Shawn pocketing a tiny Red Stone that had formed in his palm.

"Brother, what's happened?!" Ed felt Al supporting him as the dizziness slowly faded.

"Must be the heat," Shawn said indifferently. "He just kind of collapsed. Why don't you go get something cold for him to drink? I'll keep an eye on him."

"Ok, I'll be right back!"

_Don't leave me with this maniac! _Ed thought desperately.

Too late. Al's footsteps faded into the distance. Shawn squatted down and Ed shrank away, hands half-raised and prepared to clap.

"Quit freaking out," Shawn said in exasperation. "I only shaved a couple years off your life. You'll be fine."

"A couple years?!" Ed yelped. "That's my _life_ you're playing with! How is farming Stones from a person's lifespan any different from what the other homunculi do?"

"You're still alive, aren't you?" Shawn asked logically.

Unable to come up with a suitable response to that, Ed settled for a muttered, "You're a lunatic."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Shawn responded with a cocky smirk.

Shawn stood back up and Ed scrambled to his feet, not wanting to stay below eye level. Shawn frowned at the now-empty spot by Michael's drawings and scanned the crowd until he spotted his brother scribbling on a nearby pillar with enthusiasm.

"Michael must have really wanted a brother, huh?" Shawn murmured suddenly. "Going so far as to try and steal one."

"I guess," Ed said noncommittally, massaging his shoulder. "But he already had a brother. He just didn't remember."

"Are we really brothers?" Shawn asked quietly. "We were related when we were human, but now…"

"You're still brothers," Ed said stubbornly. "You don't have to be related to be brothers. Some people are brothers by blood, but they hate each other's guts. Other people aren't related, but they're so close that they consider themselves brothers in everything _but_ blood."

"In other words," Shawn said slowly, "if I'm a crappy brother, he might decide to just up and leave me."

"That's not true at all," Ed corrected him. "Real brothers always stay together no matter what."

"But if I make a mistake--" Shawn began.

"He'll understand," Ed said firmly. "As long as he knows that you're doing the best you can, he'll understand your mistakes."

"Yeah, maybe," Shawn mumbled. A whistle sounded sharply and Shawn cursed. "Damn it, that's our train!"

He raced forward and grabbed Michael's hand, tugging him toward the train. Ed watched as they boarded, wondering in his heart if it was really safe to let them go.

"Where did Michael go?"

Ed turned around and took the glass of water Al had gotten for him. "They're on the train," he explained. "They should be leaving any minute."

"Oh, no!" Al cried and ran for the train.

Startled, Ed went after him and just caught a glimpse of Al handing a piece of paper to Michael through the window of the moving train. The train picked up speed and Michael waved happily at the two of them until they were out of sight.

"What'd you give him?" Ed asked.

"Just a reminder," Al explained. "Michael said he wanted some advice on how to be a good brother, since his memories haven't all returned yet."

"Yeah?" Ed asked, intrigued. "What'd you tell him?"

"Sorry, Brother," Al said teasingly. "It's a secret little brother code."

"Why haven't I heard of this code?" Ed demanded jokingly.

"Are you a little brother?"

"I _have_ a little brother."

"Doesn't count!"

"Come on, Al! What'd you tell him?"

Another whistle announced the departure of a train--namely, Ed and Al's train to Central.

"Brother, our train's leaving!"

"Oh, crap!"

* * *

_Michael,_

_The first thing you need to remember is that there IS no right or wrong way to be a little brother. You and Shawn are already brothers and nothing can take that away. That being said, there are still some things you need to know. Most brothers have the privilege of living side-by-side from childhood, but considering your situation you two will probably go through a period of just getting to know each other again. Remember, you can't change your brother and you shouldn't want to, nor should you change just to make him happy. He will be happiest when you are being yourself._

_The very best thing a little brother can offer his older brother is understanding. Try to understand why he acts as he does and also understand that disagreements will happen. There will be times when it feels like YOU'RE the older brother, but that's just the way it is. And if something bad happens, your older brother will look to you for reassurance, even if he doesn't ask for it. _

_Above all, NEVER let your brother do something that you know is wrong. I know it's tempting to think otherwise, but your older brother isn't perfect. He stumbles and falls like the rest of us and there will be times when you need to act as the voice of reason. Don't be afraid to stand up to him and tell him off when he's being an idiot. Be adamant and he will listen…eventually. As long as you're there when he needs you, everything will turn out alright for you both._

_I hope this is helpful!_

_Al_

Michael carefully folded up Al's note and tucked it in his pocket. Shawn watched the paper vanish curiously. "So, what did Al have to say?"

Michael grinned smugly. "It's a secret."


	10. Outtakes

_A.N. Exactly what the title says. While I was writing this story, all this random stuff popped into my head and I thought you guys might like reading it. You could call this my attempt at complete and utter crack._

Little Brother?

A military car pulled up in the street then and a group of people in military uniforms jumped out. Al recognized Colonel Roy Mustang and Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye right away, but the others were strangers. The soldiers moved into the courtyard and Ed stopped and waved a hand at them. Roy and Riza both approached Ed and Al registered looks of astonishment on their faces.

Then Ed turned slightly and Al finally caught a look at the one Ed was carrying. Dark gold hair, a rounded face, a wide smile…there was no doubt anymore…

"It's…that's…" Al stammered.

"Yep," Envy said cheerfully.

Al pressed his hand to the window.

"It's Fletcher!" Al yelped. "What the heck is he doing here?"

Envy frowned and peered out the window. His eyebrow twitched and he whirled around.

"_WRATH! Get your scrawny ass up here! You transmuted the wrong kid!_"

* * *

Family Reunions Are A Bitch

"That sounds like something my brother would say," Ed said softly. His smile vanished suddenly as he took in the state of Al's armor. "What the hell happened to you?!" he exclaimed.

Thrown by the subject change, Al stammered, "Um, I had some problems getting here…it's a _long_ story…"

"Speaking of which," Ed muttered, turning to the other Alphonse with an expression that promised pain to come, "mind explaining who the hell _you_ are?"

Alphonse flashed a hate-filled glare at Ed and Al then grinned mischievously. "I am…Alphonse Elric's _twin brother!_"

"Riiiiight," Ed said slowly. "Mind explaining how I never noticed that I had two brothers growing up?"

"Because of a long, complicated, detail-oriented, tragic past that neither your parents nor your childhood neighbors thought was wise to impart on you since for some long, complicated, detail-oriented, tragic reason it was necessary to keep me hidden for your entire lives until such time as I could appear just in time to provide an excellent plot for the entertainment of fanfiction junkies," Alphonse said smugly.

"…that makes no sense," Al said slowly.

"I know!" Alphonse said flippantly. "Isn't fanfiction great?"

* * *

Boredom Is A Dangerous Thing

Ed cleared his throat and decided to try a stab at conversation. "So what's up with you nodding off so much lately? Did you turn into a cat or something?"

Alphonse jumped a little and smiled sheepishly. "I don't know. I guess I've just been tired, that's all."

"Really?" Ed asked. "I honestly expected you to be bouncing off the walls today. I mean, come on Al! You've got your body back, we're going back to Risembool, I can finally resign from the military! Our lives are ours again!"

Alphonse nodded and looked back out the window. Ed ground his teeth and seethed silently.

"Want to play checkers?" Ed grumbled.

"Nah."

"Chess?"

"Nope."

"Poker?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Strip Poker?"

"Sure!"

Ed nodded and continued to stare blankly out the window until it hit him what he had just consented to do with his brother. On a _train_, no less.

"_What the HELL, Alphonse?!_"

* * *

Sidetracked

Before Al could make a decision, a pair of arms wrapped around Lust from behind and a man's unshaven face popped up over her shoulder. "Hey, hotness," he breathed in her ear.

Lust's lips grew tight in distaste. "Unhand me, weakling."

The drunk man laughed and staggered a little, but kept hanging on to her. Al watched the situation uneasily. The drunk was going to get himself killed if he kept this behavior up. Anxiously, Al looked around for something to draw an array with until he realized something…

"Colonel, is that you?!" Al exclaimed.

Roy, in the middle of trying to grope Lust, looked up with a dazed expression. "Al? I thought you were on a train to Risembool…?"

"That would be the fake Alphonse," Al said in exasperation. "We just had a conversation about this, didn't we?"

"Oh yeah," Roy mumbled with a sheepish grin. "I got a little _sidetracked_, if you know what I mean…"

"He's a suit of armor with the mindset of a ten-year-old," Lust said, rolling her eyes. "How on _earth_ would he know what you mean?"

Roy cast Lust a devious grin. "Well, we _are_ two experienced adults. We could always give him The Talk with a small practical demonstration…"

"I'm good thanks!" Al squeaked, fleeing toward the train station at a dead run while also trying very, _very_ hard to banish the unsettling images in his head.

* * *

Trashing the OC

Al seemed about to respond when the back door of the train car flew open. Shawn glanced back and saw his mirror image for the first time as Envy dragged a very bruised Ed up the aisle.

"Brother!" Al shouted. He struggled to pull himself free of the claws holding him, but he couldn't move at all. "_Brother!_"

Ed's head snapped up at Al's voice and when he caught sight of Shawn his eyes widened in shock.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!" Ed muttered. Looking up at the ceiling, he bellowed, "Bad enough you make a creepy Al-look-a-like, but now you've got another one that looks like me?! _Have some originality!_"

Bookwrm389 glared at her computer screen, clearly not amused. _Hey, at least it's not another Pride!Ed fic! And technically he's not YOU, he just LOOKS like you!_

"Same difference!" Ed exclaimed. "What happened to the 'O' of 'OC', huh?"

_Do you WANT me to make you two feet tall! I swear to God, I will!_

"You _wouldn't,_" Ed whispered in mortification.

_And maybe I'll just bring the colonel here so he can point and laugh while I'm at it! Is there anyone else you'd like to attend the laugh-fest? I could have Winry build a teleportation device that will bring every one of your archenemies right here to laugh at the shrimp!_

By this time, Ed was curled up in a corner in full-on sulk mode. Oddly enough, Tamaki Suoh had magically joined him and together their angst positively flooded the corner with dark colors and depressing squiggly lines.

Al looked up at the ceiling tentatively. "Don't you think that was overdoing it? Brother's _sensitive_…"

* * *

You Never Know…

"It's gibberish," Ed murmured.

Al looked from the array to Ed. "Huh?"

"It's the transmutation circle I found the kid in," Ed amended. "I've been trying to figure out how it works, but the truth is it _doesn't_. It's just a bunch of alchemic symbols and lines thrown together to look like a complex array. It's something anyone could create, even if they knew nothing about alchemy."

Al scrutinized the small piece of paper. "Are you _sure_ it doesn't work?"

"Positive!" Ed said crossly. "I'm the prodigy, don't you think I'd know if it worked or not?"

"Have you tried it out?" Al inquired.

"Of course not!" Ed exclaimed. "Using a transmutation circle without knowing what it does is the height of stupidity! You could end up destroying everything and everyone around you or getting sucked straight to the Gate or--"

There was a sudden flash of light, which left spots dancing across his vision. Blinking them away, Ed came face to face with a very human, very naked Alphonse Elric sitting on the couch.

"Well _that's_ awkward…" Winry mumbled.

* * *

Drama Queen

The array lit up and in an instant the chains broke apart into dozens of pieces. Al stood quickly then froze when the lock clicked on the door. Envy!

Making a snap decision, Al snatched up the spike and, as soon as Envy stepped over the threshold, lunged forward and stabbed the spike into his skull. Blood spurted everywhere and Al gave an involuntary cry when a familiar face turned to him, golden eyes shining in betrayal.

"_Et tu_, Alphonse?" Ed choked. "Then _fall_, Edward!"

Envy dropped to the ground with a slack look on his face, his body twitching occasionally. Al tilted his head at the strange performance.

"Shakespeare?" Al asked incredulously. "_Seriously?_"

Envy giggled and turned over onto his back. Slowly, ever so slowly, he reached up and pulled the spike from his skull. It came free with a stomach-churning popping sound and he examined the bloodied metal with a deranged grin.

"Oh, happy dagger," Envy whispered dramatically. "This be thy sheath! There rust and let me _die!_"

Envy stabbed himself brutally and his insane cackles filled the room. Quietly, Al shuffled around the odd display and slipped out the door with a muttered, "Showoff."

* * *

Feeding Frenzy

"What about the Stones?" Ed asked bluntly. "You two survive on Red Stones, but I don't feel right letting you go if you're just going to start killing people like the other homunculi."

"You don't have to worry about that," Shawn said with an easy smile. "The Stones I created from Envy should last us awhile."

"And once they run out?" Ed persisted. "Then what?"

Shawn cast him a sinister grin and Ed felt an involuntary chill at the nape of his neck.

"You really want to know?" Shawn said softly.

"Um…kind of…yeah," Ed said uncertainly.

Shawn closed the distance between them and leaned forward until Ed felt the homunculus's hot breath tickling his ear.

"I'll give you a hint," Shawn breathed in a silky tone. "My real name is…Edward…_Cullen!_"

_Oh shit, _Ed thought as he felt a pair of fangs plunge into his neck. _As if the fangirls didn't have enough to rave about!_


End file.
